Once again your incredible support has resulted in our most successful fundraising year to date. Multiple one-off gifts, regular donations, gifts of shares, remembering Winchester in a Will, and a growing community of Wykeham Patrons have all contributed to the £27.6 million which has been raised. You are opening doors and transforming lives by supporting bursaries, funding essential projects through the Annual Fund and safeguarding our heritage.
We are also extremely grateful to our volunteers, whose reach extends far and wide. OWs and parents are organising events, fundraising on our behalf, offering careers advice and mentoring our students through the Futures programme and our new Wykeham Links platform. You are part of this incredible community.
Global Reach
With almost 30% of our community now living, working or studying outside the UK, the support of our volunteers around the world grows ever more important. Both the American Friends of Winchester College and the Hong Kong Friends of Winchester College support us with extremely generous grants funded through the gifts they have received from OWs, parents and Foundations in their region. They also do incredible work to strengthen relationships across the wider Wykehamical community through vibrant and exciting events programmes.
Lest We Forget
2024 marks the centenary of War Cloister, Europe’s largest private war memorial. The vital conservation project which is currently underway is costing £1 million, due to both the specialist nature of the work and the scale of the building. As of February 2024, you have donated £750,000 towards the overall project cost, and there is a special match giving offer to encourage donations from those aged 40 or under.
The centenary commemoration will take place on Wykeham Day, Saturday 15 June 2024.
Sporting Facilities
Over 600 Wykehamists and parents — past and present — have contributed to the £13 million donated for the new Sports Centre. Thank you for your exceptional support, and also for your patience in bearing with us as we have negotiated significant archaeological finds, a global pandemic, supply chain issues and, finally, leaks into the timber roof above the swimming pool.
The facilities are, finally, nearing completion and we look forward to sharing it with you later this year.
Continuing the Conversation
Thank you to everyone who spoke to a young OW during last summer’s telephone campaign. Over 500 individual conversations took place. Almost half of these resulted in a gift, generating close to £130,000 for bursaries and the War Cloister appeal. The 2024 telephone campaign will take place in August.
Your help, in whatever form it takes, is enabling Winchester College to fulfil its charitable mission and is supporting the College’s Vision for the 21st Century, of advancing the influence of great education on the modern global stage. Thank you so much.
Melanie Bushell
Director of Development,
Director of Winchester College Society
Christopher Normand (F, 1976 - 81)
Director of Winchester College Society
