The Radley Foundation

Our Funds

The Armed Forces Fund has now reached £1m; fundraising is gathering pace and support is coming in from far and wide.

The Armed Forces Fund

The Armed Forces Fund, part of The Radley Foundation, is working in partnership with Downe House and St Mary's Calne to help fund the education of sons and daughters of Service men and women of all ranks killed or wounded while serving their country. The boys will go to Radley and the girls to either Downe House or St Mary's. The Fund has been set up following the recent loss in Afghanistan of two Old Radleians, Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe MBE and Lieutenant Dougie Dalzell MC and following other ORs being wounded - notably Captain Harry Parker who was severely injured by an IED while serving in Helmand Province.
 

Cricket Net Fund

The Cricket Net Fund aims to fund the development of the Bigside Cricket Nets and Surrounds. Phase 1 of the 3 Phase plan to upgrade the main cricket net area has now been completed, and we are grateful to those who have contributed £33,000 to this project already. John Beasley and Andy Wagner are very keen to go ahead with Phase 2 and 3 as soon as possible. This work will include all-weather nets, new bases, new carpets and astro run-ups to make an all-the-year-round cricket facility for coaching and practice. This will be a help in the preparation of young players for the cricket season.

Endowment Fund

When the College was founded in 1847, the only buildings on the Radley estate were the Mansion, the Cottage (where the Chaplain now lives) and the Library (formerly called ‘School’). The extraordinary generosity of previous generations, combined with some shrewd financial management, has enabled the College Council to develop the entire campus as we know it today. Not surprisingly, this has taken up the great majority of available resources – leaving little in the way of ‘endowed funds’ for future use. The ambition of the Foundation Trustees is to build up ‘The Endowment Fund’ of the Foundation as a ‘war chest’ for the future and to use the income to benefit the College.
 

Hugo Rutland Memorial Fund

The Hugo Rutland Memorial Fund was created in 2005 after the tragic death of Hugo in a drowning accident whilst on holiday with his family. The fund  provides financial support for current Radley parents finding themselves in unforeseen financial difficulties.
In 2009 we launched a major campaign to maintain the momentum of the HRMF. The first HRMF Bursary was awarded in September 2007 to a Radleian whose father had suddenly been struck down by severe illness, and a second bursary was awarded in 2009.

Malcolm Robinson Memorial Fund

The Malcolm Robinson Memorial Fund, within the Radley Foundation, provides income for one or more Radleians every year to study at William & Mary College on their ‘Pre-Collegiate Summer Program’. The experience of studying abroad with different people, systems and attitudes is challenging and enlightening, as indeed it was for Malcolm. William & Mary have been enthusiastic about re-establishing links with Radley and honouring Malcolm’s memory.





 

Old Gym Redevelopment Fund

Further details about the Old Gym Redevelopment Fund will be published shortly.
 

Rowing Centre

One of the College’s priorities has been to consider how best to support our oarsmen. We believe the creation of a Rowing Centre in the heart of the campus will revolutionise our rowing potential. It will help all our crews to compete on an equal footing with schools that already have similar facilities. In particular, it will provide our senior oarsmen with high-tech training aids and our youngest oarsmen with a consistent programme of training throughout the rowing terms – regardless of the weather.
 

Scholarships & Bursaries

We would like to increase the number of means-tested Foundation Awards and Silk Awards that enable talented boys to come to Radley regardless of their parents’ ability to pay the fees; for example, boys who might otherwise have gone to independent day schools or those currently in the maintained sector. The JVP Thompson Scholarship and the Silk Fund have provided considerable help in the past but the College Council would like to increase the number of awards significantly as the presence of such boys in the College is often an inspiration to all. In the case of boys currently at State primary schools, we sometimes need to provide finance for them to attend a Prep School for two years before coming to Radley - a Continuation Award scheme.
 

The Silk Fund

It is 20 years since the Silk Fund was launched in 1991. Dennis Silk retired in the summer of 1991 and asked that instead of receiving a cash gift himself from well-wishers, a fund should be set up to provide bursaries for the talented sons of parents who could not otherwise afford the school fees. Over this period the capital in the fund has grown to over £2 million, and 17 boys have received awards out of the income from the Fund.