Giving at Friends'

Cover image: Recipients of The Friends’ School Old Scholars’ Memorial Grant, Poppy Thorpe (L) and Hannah Gardner (R)

Friends’ Together 2021 update

As the year draws to a close we remain deeply grateful to all who participated in the School’s annual giving program, Friends’ Together 2021. Thanks to a number of recent donations, the total funds raised this year has increased to $51,754. With the ongoing challenges of the global pandemic we are particularly grateful for your support of Friends’ students and their educational journey.

Of the total sum raised, $23,620 is for the installation of an ASF/Horner Sports Flooring Systems PR3 Advanced sprung timber floor in our new Sports Centre, $25,083 towards The Friends’ Fellowship needs-based scholarship and $3,051 to the Library Fund for vital digital resources and subscriptions in the Morris, High School and Clemes libraries.

Pictured above: The new ASF/Horner Sports Flooring Systems PR3 Advanced sprung timber floor being installed in our new Sports Centre thanks to contributions from the Friends’ community

Community Appreciation Day | 4 - 6pm, 17 March 2022

Each year the School expresses its appreciation for the many contributions of our community to Friends’ - whether that be time, funds, mind or items. These contributions have a direct and positive impact on Friends’ students and the School appreciates very deeply the enhanced educational journey it is able to offer students thanks to the support of our community.

In recent years, we have held an event in November to express our gratitude. However moving forward we plan to replace this event with our new Community Appreciation Day to be held annually in March. A fun, informal, family friendly event on the Commercial Road green, this will be our opportunity to show all our supporters how much we appreciate their contributions to Friends’.

The Friends’ School has received vital philanthropic support from its community since the School was founded with gifts of funds and resources in 1887. As a not-for-profit organisation the School simply would not be the School it is today without our community’s contributions and support. If you have volunteered, donated or given gifts to the School, or would like to get involved in our giving programs, please save the date!

We look forward to expressing our gratitude to all who contribute to Friends’ at our inaugural Community Appreciation Day.

Old Scholars’ Memorial Grant

David Asten & Michael Gluskie, for the Trustees.

We are delighted to announce the recipients of the The Friends’ School Old Scholars’ Memorial Award this year are Hannah Gardner and Poppy Thorpe. The selection panel received excellent written applications with each applicant addressing their academic achievements, participation in School life and strong service ethic. The selection panel were impressed with the thought and effort put into all the applications received and indeed had trouble separating each applicant. Equally the conduct and engagement of the students who attended an interview was first class making the decision on the successful applicant a very difficult one. This year the grant of $4,000 towards Clemes fees in Term 1 will be split equally between our two recipients. We thank the Trustees for their time and ongoing stewardship of this Award.

The FSOSMA started in 1920, to support continuing education of children of Friends Old Scholars whose families had been affected by the traumas of WW1. Donations from many Old Scholars enabled the Scholarship fund to make a difference over many years. In more recent times, the terms of the scholarship have been modified, but maintaining the original concept of assisting children of Old Scholars to continue their education at The Friends School. The Trustees are very grateful to those Old Scholars who have supported the Fund, in 1919 and more recently, and enabled the original key purpose to be maintained for over 100 years.

Applications for the 2023 Grant will open in July 2022. More information is available from the School's website. Students with an Old Scholar connection (such as parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts) are encouraged to apply.

Get Involved

For further information about the giving programs at Friends’, please visit our website or contact Lucy Loney or Bill Avery.