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It seemed fitting to celebrate the Head Master’s successful tenure at Lancing alongside his leadership of the Foundationers Campaign with an event at the National Portrait Gallery. It was an opportunity to bring together a number of OL Foundationers with a few from the Upper Sixth, donors, OLs, charity partners, parents, governors and staff. The Head Master welcomed guests to the evening following a drinks reception with the stunning London skyline as a backdrop. He took the opportunity to highlight the importance of the Foundationers programme and emphasised how generously it is supported by the wider Lancing community including 80% of our parent body.
The Head Master expressed his gratitude to all those who have made the Foundationers Campaign a reality from its inception. He thanked not only those who have made financial contributions but also those who have acted as ambassadors for the programme and those who have provided the vital operational and administrative support. Special thanks were given to the Foundation Council for their ongoing dedication and inspiration.
This September we will see the 50th Foundationer enter the College. The Head Master said "Our Foundationers are major influences in the daily life of the College – five have been Heads of School and seven have been prefects! Over 90% of our OL Foundationers have gone on to leading universities."
Later in the evening Shirin Mirzayasheva (Manor 2017 - 2022), an OL Foundationer spoke on behalf of those who had benefited from the Foundationer Programme and highlighted the lasting impact of her five memorable years at the College. She said ‘I can't even begin to thank the donors and everyone who provided these opportunities - my life has been forever changed - not a day goes by when I don't think about my five years at the College and my memories at the College will always be a part of me. I am forever grateful.”
Carol Murraine, CEO of Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy (EYLA), a longstanding partner of the Foundationers’ Programme, reflected on the beginning of the partnership in 2017, highlighting how lives have been transformed through the care and compassion fostered at the College. Carol said "Education at Lancing is much more than imparting knowledge. (It is) a space where they are seen, heard and valued. The culture of inclusivity is one of Lancing's greatest gifts and it has left an indelible mark on the lives of our children, parents and our (EYLA) staff.”
Finally, the first donor to the Foundationers Programme spoke and expressed his gratitude to the Head Master for his leadership and passion for the programme, and for everything he has done to make it such a successful, pioneering initiative. He shared the belief that, "If you have been lucky in life, you owe a debt of gratitude to those who are less fortunate than yourself," a sentiment shared by many.
This year the Foundationers Campaign will have transformed the lives of 50 young people. The programme provides 110% bursaries for young people from challenging social and economic backgrounds so they can participate fully in the many co-curricular activities offered at Lancing. The Foundation Office has raised £6.4m in pledges and donations of a £10m target and the College matches the funds raised by a third, contributing £15k per Foundationer.
The Head Master concluded the evening by expressing his hope that, over the next ten years, there would be another 50 Foundationers. "Our mission remains to provide as many opportunities as we can to young people based on their character, their ambition, their potential not just their circumstances, fortunate or otherwise. " He added "We aim to give opportunity, motivation, heart and a voice to the child who would otherwise stumble, the child who would, through force or circumstances, not have the opportunity to grow as they could or should. Education is about transformation and the bigger the transformation the more powerful and important is the process. That is what this programme is about.”