School community shows “extraordinary generosity” as Giving Day raises £525,000

Tonbridge’s Giving Day has, for the second year in succession, raised more than half a million pounds.

With donations still coming in, the current total exceeds £525,000. Since the School’s inaugural event in 2021, the total sum raised by Giving Day for the Foundation Awards bursary programme stands at more than £1.5 million.

This year’s event was supported by a total of 675 donors as well as match funders, challenge gift sponsors, boys, parents, staff and the wider School community of OTs and friends.

On Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 June, during the last week of the Summer Term, many hundreds of people across the School community worked together to help support Tonbridge’s mission of increasing its number of Foundation Award recipients to at least 100 by 2028, which is the occasion of its 475th anniversary.

James Priory, Tonbridge’s Headmaster, expressed thanks for the “extraordinary generosity” of everyone who supported Giving Day – now a major annual event in the School calendar. “In the context of today’s cost of living crisis, it is even more important for us as a School to do everything we can to support young people and to offer them the very best chances in life,” he said.

“For three years now, the Tonbridge community has demonstrated its commitment to Giving Day and we are simply humbled by the support we have received.

“Our aim is to ensure that we continue to attract the most academically able and talented boys, and Giving Day plays a crucial role in helping us to achieve that. Widening access, in turn, helps us to raise the level of achievement for all, to increase the diversity of the Tonbridge experience and to further enhance the academic and co-curricular life of the School.”

The theme of community plays a large part in Giving Day. Nearly 700 children, from 14 local schools, spent a day at Tonbridge taking part a range of sporting, artistic and academic activities. Pupils were looked after by Tonbridge’s First Years, with activities being run by Sixth Formers and staff members.

The School’s young visitors tried their hands at all sorts, from archery, art and athletics to dance, poetry, drama and science, with everyone encouraged to have a go at something new. “We are very grateful for the opportunity to see how fun and interesting science can be,” wrote one teacher from a visiting primary school following an activity in the School’s Barton Science Centre. “The Tonbridge boys were great … the children particularly loved the session on rockets.”

There were also 12 off-site projects taking place, involving more than 350 Second and Third Year boys, as they ‘gave back’ to the local community. Boys and School staff visited a number of local primary schools to help with projects such as creating nature areas, planting, installing water features, organising fun runs and helping pupils prepare for sports days and drama productions.

Boys also headed to the Tonbridge-based Multiple Intelligence Hub and the Scott’s Project charity, for a packed day of activities which included painting play areas, creating wood-chip paths and decorating. At Princess Christian Farm, in nearby Hildenborough, students helped create a sensory room, including making touch boards, painting murals, installing sensory toys and hosting sporting challenges.

Others headed to Barden Lake in Haysden Country Park, working alongside staff and volunteers from Kent County Council to help tackle bank erosion and to improve the overall environment for visitors.

Meanwhile, it’s not too late to make a donation and support Giving Day.

All Giving Day gifts are added to the General Foundation Awards Fund.