Wykeham Journal 2015 | Page 52

A Report from the Investment Committee R O B E R T S U T T O N ( C O L L , 19 6 6 - 71) Sub-Warden If the central purpose of Winchester College is to provide a first-class and distinctive education to boys who – irrespective of their families’ means – will most benefit from it and as the costs of that provision become more and more difficult to meet for an increasing number of our strongest applicants, it can be seen that the work of the Investment Committee is at the heart of creating a bridge between that purpose and the aspirations of those boys. Further, and importantly, our Endowment provides the College with a degree of freedom to choose its own path and pupils. With that freedom, of course, comes an obligation to manage the Endowment carefully and with an eye to the (very) long term as well as to current needs. The Committee consists of three Fellows, one of whom, Andrew Joy (C, 1970-74), serves as its Chairman and is ably and selflessly assisted by four advisers – Patrick Disney (B, 1969-74), Roger Gray (D, 1970-74), Rupert Sebag-Montefiore and Andrew Sykes (K, 1970-74), 48  The Wykeham Journal 2015 as well as by the Bursar, Chief Accountant and Estates Bursar. The Warden frequently attends its meetings. The Committee met four times during the year, and is in frequent contact at other times. It now reports directly to the Governing Body, rather than through the Finance Committee. As at 31 August 2015, the College’s estate holdings (excluding Barton Farm) were independently valued at £81.5m, a like-for-like increase on 2014 of 22%; and our residential portfolio of commercially-let houses in Winchester at £9m, a like-for-like increase on 2014 of 8.7%. The total return on these asse