The most significant news to recount is that the Millennium Campaign, which started in 1995, has been successfully concluded. The target of £2.8 million was reached in November of last year, and the School is extremely grateful to all those parents, Old Westminsters and friends who so generously contributed not only money, but also their time and effort.

The Campaign raised significant sums for the Scholarships and Bursaries Fund, the renovation of the Boathouse, the new railings at Vincent Square, music bursaries, Sixth Form bursaries and many other smaller projects.

Alas, fundraising activity will not cease with the end of the Millennium Campaign. Westminster currently has very few bursaries to offer and the abolition of the Assisted Places Scheme has brought the problem into even sharper relief. We are absolutely determined to offer opportunities to the very brightest boys (and girls in the Sixth Form) regardless of their financial circumstances. Only by doing this can the School continue its traditions of the highest possible intellectual standards, and be able to offer the broad social base that is so important in a good all round education. The sums involved are horrendously high - it costs £1.5M to endow just one 11+ Bursary.

The other great priority for the School is improving and expanding the existing facilities. Perhaps the most pressing needs are for a music centre, a sports hall and improvements in the teaching of I.T. We would also like to have more room for teaching, study, and cultural activities in general - young people need space: places where they can 'let off steam', indulge hobbies and express themselves. As a first step (at the time of writing), the School has been negotiating the purchase of a nearby building which it is hoped will become a state-of-the-art theatre. The cost of the building and fitting it out will be in excess of £2M.

Elsewhere, the Parents' Committee continues to do a great deal of excellent work for the School. Not only have events like the Antiques Roadshow raised some significant sums, but more informal gatherings, such as the new Fifth Form Parents’ Barbecue, have made parents feel part of the community. Many thanks to Elaine Potter, the outgoing Chair, her successor, Diana Fortescue, and to all those Committee members who have worked so hard and enthusiastically on the School's behalf.

Stephen Teal Director of Development
0207 963 1113
devoff5a@westminster.org.uk

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