It is not just the generosity of the Founder, but also the generosity of generation after generation of OWs, which helps us to reach this ambition each academic year, backed up most recently by the Governing Body’ s exciting vision of offering more bursaries as a result of the sale of Barton Farm.
It is not just the generosity of the Founder, but also the generosity of generation after generation of OWs, which helps us to reach this ambition each academic year, backed up most recently by the Governing Body’ s exciting vision of offering more bursaries as a result of the sale of Barton Farm.
Our historic resources are extraordinary. We have a unique set of buildings, a wonderful archive, and, in the new Treasury, a splendid space in which some of these things can be exhibited. But I’ m discovering that even those who have been associated with the College for a long time don’ t necessarily know all the treasures we’ ve got here; and, if you’ re a Winchester resident, the chances are you may never have been inside the College walls. The Oxford Preservation Trust, which owns substantial open spaces in the city, once a year organises‘ Oxford Open Doors’ which provides an opportunity for every closed community to open itself up and I was delighted to be asked to serve as a Trustee. The College’ s new involvement in Winchester’ s National Heritage Open Days, facilitated by Richard Foster, Suzanne Foster, Rachel Wragg, Amber Davenport and our Enterprise team, has enabled us to offer for the first time something comparable. It was an enormous success in 2017, and we plan to expand that this year. Amongst these other initiatives, it’ s important not to forget the Founder’ s original intent. A Winchester education should facilitate national well-being via social mobility, and an opening up of our community to all those boys who would benefit from it. The Warden and Fellows, and indeed everyone in the College, are hugely committed to those ideals and conscious of the extensive resources which the school has at its disposal to achieve this fundamental aim. It is not just the generosity of the Founder, but also the generosity of generation after generation of OWs, which helps us to reach this ambition each academic year, backed up most recently by the Governing
Body’ s exciting vision of offering more bursaries as a result of the sale of Barton Farm. Currently 1 in 5 pupils in the school receive support with their school fees. With the eventual proceeds from Barton Farm we intend to increase that support to a third of all pupils. Of course, opening up the school to the wider community is not a new concept – there is a little bit of a political obsession with opening up public school playing fields for broader use. Winchester has been doing that for a long time, for example by sharing our PE Centre with the local community, so that a wide variety of members, clubs and societies can enjoy our sporting facilities while the boys pursue their academic studies. The planned development of the Southern Campus, with the introduction of a new Sports Centre will give wider public access to an extraordinary firstclass facility( a sort of luxury Gunner’ s Hole, fully heated and with indoor changing rooms), without, of course, impinging on the school’ s own use. These are very exciting times for the College and I am privileged to be part of them. We are deeply fortunate in being able to express our ancient ideals and expand our special responsibility in ever more relevant ways.
The Wykeham Journal 2017 9