Report of the Reedham Trust
Chairman, Mr Richard Link, taken from the Reedham Trust Annual Report 2010.
The Reedham Trust has
continued its work of assisting children from fragile home backgrounds to achieve their potential and self-respect at boarding
schools. In times
when income from all sources is even harder to obtain, we select those cases
which present the greatest risk to the child. We often support children at
schools where foundations exist.
We continue to work closely with other Trusts.
Our partners include the Royal Wanstead Children’s Foundation, the
Frank Buttle Trust, the Joint Educational Trust and the BMTA.
Together we assess the family situation, the financial circumstances and
the school. Information is also
shared through the Educational Trusts’ Forum.
In the year under review our grant expenditure increased to £319,302.
The value of the Trust’s investment portfolio recovered to some extent
during the year, although income from dividends and interest has reduced.
Although we seek a total return in the longer term, income is vital to
finance our annual outflow of grants.
Assistance was provided to 132 boys and girls at 61 schools, including 25 new
grants. Over one-fifth of grants were for children attending state boarding
schools. Priority is given to
children up to the age of 16. During
the past year eleven young people completed A Level studies and a further 21 sat
GSCE, of whom 12 will continue to receive Trust support at 6th Form.
As in previous years the Selection Panel has had a challenging task in assessing
the cases submitted by the Caseworker. The
case studies described on page 4 of this report are examples.
Reedham continues to be involved with the Pathfinder Project for boarding
provision for vulnerable children. Progress
is slow in attracting Local Authorities to see the benefits of boarding. We have
worked closely with Surrey Children’s Services over the past year.
The Trust agreed to support a pilot project with the Princess Royal Trust for
Carers, helping young carers in the North East of England by means of small
grants. This will help youngsters to
participate in their chosen activity, including horse riding, rugby and
football. A visit to two Young Carers Centres on Tyneside is planned.
The pilot will be evaluated early in 2011.
We have been very pleased
with the involvement of the Trust in the Durham Outreach project, where we are
contributing to the cost of two girls from
County
Durham
as members of the
Cathedral
Chorister
School
. By giving encouragement to their
musical training, we have also given them a chance to achieve confidence in
their young lives and the effect is considerable. In this effort we have
received an additional gift from our Benefactor in the North East who has made
this project possible. We have also recently approved support for a boy at
Durham
School
.
At the last AGM Sheila Wordsworth stood down from membership of the Board after
eleven years of valued service on our Selection Panel. We
have been pleased to welcome both Judith Kidd and Yvonne Fyfield in her place. During
the year members of the panel visited King Edward’s School Witley, meeting
staff and pupils. I have made visits
to other schools where we support children, representing the Trust at meetings
and functions.
The twelfth Reedham Newsletter was distributed in the summer thanks to the
continued inspiration of Lesley Ackerley. We
feel the Newsletter gives a fresher perspective to the work of the Trust than
the more formal Annual Report.
To research and reflect on our past history as an orphanage and a school we are
fortunate to be able to maintain a small museum at The Lodge, Purley.
Considerable interest is shown by both contributors and visitors.
We value our liaison with the Reedham Old Scholars Association as
enquiries are often made to our office from past pupils.
Our connections with the local community have been reinforced recently through
the Bourne Society and local organisations, charities and schools, including
Beaumont and St Nicholas Schools. I
have also presented a talk to the Croydon Natural History and Scientific
Society.
The Trust continues as a member of the Fundraising Standards Board. Despite the
current economic difficulties, we can report an increase in donations and
legacies in the year 2009/10. The
continued interest in our work by the Barbara Ward Children’s Foundation and
by our Benefactor in the North East has been much appreciated, along with Old
Scholars and other individuals whose Gift Aid donations are particularly
welcome. Specific thanks are due to
the following Trusts and Organisations:
The Sir James Knott Trust
Garfield
Weston Foundation
The Bourne Society
The Gants Hill United Reformed Church
The Hubert Blake Charitable Trust
The Helen Robertson Charitable Trust
Marsh Christian Trust
Medway Travel Ltd
Nestle Pensioners Association
Purley Rotary Club
The Sandra Charitable Trust
The Thoresby Charitable Trust
Waitrose Ltd
The Reedham Old Scholars Association
Our Fundraising Committee have been encouraging legacy giving. Although
this can never be a precise exercise, we have been fortunate to receive legacies
from several Old Scholars during the year and a further substantial sum from the
Jessie Margaret Mitchell Will Trust.
Our efforts through the year have been backed by a loyal and enthusiastic Board
of Management whose members are represented on our three Committees. The
Old Scholars Association and their members have worked closely with us and we
have been pleased to attend their functions. Our Investment Managers, Schroders
and Rensburg Sheppards, continue to show close interest in our work and we thank
them for their regular reports. Mazars,
our Auditors, are most efficient in their preparation of the Annual Accounts and
their presentation.
At our office Jean, Jane and Lesley have maintained a most co-operative and
cheerful organisation for the Trust which is recognised by so many with whom we
carry out our work, often witnessing the most difficult home circumstances.
We strive to make it possible for the disadvantages of one generation not to be
passed on to another by giving children a chance in life.
Richard Link
October 2010.
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