Bolton School has won this year’s Institute of Development Professionals in Education (IDPE) Schools’ Fundraising Campaign of the Year award. The accolade was bestowed upon the School after voting from other IDPE member schools. Head of Development Laura Firth and Development Manager Laura Rooney were delighted to collect the award at a ceremony held at Birmingham’s Hilton Metropole Hotel during the IDPE Conference, at which Headmistress of the Girls’ Division Sue Hincks was also in attendance, in her capacity as 2019 President of the Girls' Schools Association.
The winner was deemed to be the School that had best raised the fundraising bar by demonstrating creativity or innovation and success within a fundraising campaign. The Judging Panel’s shortlisting comments were: 'This was a well-executed fundraising campaign that shows what can be achieved if everyone is working to the same objectives.'
Mrs Firth, who had earlier delivered a session at the conference with Headmaster of the Boys’ Division Philip Britton, said: ‘Our long-term ambition is to build a bursary fund able to support one in three children, replicating the level of access enjoyed during the Direct Grant era. Using the School’s centenary celebrations as a catalyst, in September 2014 we began the 100 Campaign for Bolton School Bursaries, with the aim of raising £5m by August 2018, a target we were delighted to achieve.’
During the four years of the 100 Campaign, every £1 spent on fundraising resulted in £6.40 for the School. Participation in the 100 Campaign came overwhelmingly from Alumni but also from former parents, current parents and charitable trusts.
The 100 Campaign galvanised new and existing donors in their support for the Bursary Fund, embedding the School’s ambitious long-term vision for open access within the psyche of the entire School community.