Trustees input to RSW Strategy Day

The Foundation's Trustees were invited to update School Governors, Members and the Senior Leadership Team at the School's Strategy Day on 12th June 2024. 

They summarised the Foundation’s history, noting that since 2016, when the school became a Free School, the Foundation, like the original Orphanage, is now solely dependent on voluntary contributions.

They highlighted how generous bequests and donations to the Foundation since then have enabled it to support individual pupils in need and fund infrastructure projects that benefit the whole school – again, just like the orphanage with its focus on pupils in need. 

They showed the benefits of donating to the Foundation rather than directly to the School - many ways to donate, Gift Aid can be claimed and there is more flexibility in how funds can be used. 

Finally, they discussed the need to preserve the chapel, and to enhance it and the associated lodge.  The chapel is not State-funded and has no sources of income to cover its costs.  The work would make it a more flexible and useful venue for school-related events such as concerts and presentations.   It could attract events such as weddings, funerals, meetings etc., to generate income and offset its costs.    Trustees have set aside some seed-funding to help get this started and support an appeal for funding.  Already a number of Old Royals are keen to support this initiative.   

The Trustees urged the governors and senior leadership team to take full advantage of the Foundation's financial opportunities and facilities.