Make your mark
at Bradford Grammar School
Make your mark. Help them make theirs.
Rewarding hard-working young people, with an outstanding education, regardless of their background or circumstance, has long been a cornerstone of everything we believe in.
Start opening doors for young people … Bradford Grammar School is so much more than a school, it’s a community. As members of the BGS family, we are proud of our school’s heritage. We now need to ask members of our community, past and present, to be custodians of the school’s future by protecting Assisted Places.
Bradford is the fifth most deprived area in the UK, with almost 50% of all children living in poverty. Assisted Places for bright children are in high demand but the current economic climate presents fundraising challenges. Need far outstrips our capacity to help as many families as we would want.
BGS has always been a catalyst for young people with great potential to do incredible things. As we look forward, we need to ensure this remains so for future generations.
It was only the start for Ellie
Ellie and her family were over the moon when they discovered she had been successful in her application for an Assisted Place, made possible by a Norfolk Scholarship. When asked what BGS has given her, she said, ‘Opportunity in every shape of the word.’
Norfolk Scholarships were introduced by Old Bradfordian Mark Richer, who himself received funding to attend BGS in 1981. He always wanted to give back to the school, so set up the Norfolk Scholarships in memory of his dear school friend Nigel Norfolk who died tragically just before the pair were due to start Cambridge together.
For Ellie, it was the beginning of what may be a lifelong love of hockey. ‘I’ve played a lot of hockey!’ she laughs. It was also the start of her playing the saxophone. She’s now studying for her Grade 8, after only starting to play in year 10. She loves the fact that every opportunity is open to all pupils. ‘You don’t have to be just a sporty person or a music person, you can be involved a huge variety of things at any one time.’
Ellie’s Assisted Place has helped her take advantage of educational trips to Paris, Germany and Pompei, which fuelled her passion for history, while a visit to prestigious science event ‘Science Live’ opened her eyes to possible careers in science.
This inspired Ellie to study biology and chemistry at A Level, together with history and French. She has offers from several universities, including an offer from Cambridge to study biological anthropology and archaeology.
Ellie is a shining example of how Assisted Places not only benefit the young people receiving them but also the entire BGS community. Their reach goes beyond the school gates to communities in Bradford and beyond. Ellie was president of the Interact Club, which is a junior branch of Rotary. Under Ellie’s leadership, they raised funds for Martin House, a local charity which provides hospice care for children and young people, national charity Marie Curie and international charity Médecins Sans Frontières.
This is clearly only the start for Ellie, we know she’ll have a positive influence on the communities she touches.
Please give another local young person the opportunities Bradford Grammar has given Ellie.
It all started here for Chris
Chris describes supporting the 1662 Fund for Assisted Places as bringing him full circle.
When he was a lad, Chris lived in a semi-detached house in West Leeds, with his mum, dad and two brothers. It was the eighties and private school was never an option. His two brothers went to the local secondary modern and he was all set to follow suit. Then his mum received a call from his primary school teacher. She was told that Chris was doing incredibly well and it was recommended that the family find a secondary school to challenge him academically.
Once they’d had time to take the news in, applications were posted and family sacrifices were made. Shortly after, Chris found himself at Bradford Grammar School on the Government Assisted Places scheme, surrounded by the children of doctors, lawyers and accountants. All the people he knew worked in factories.
Chris could have felt like he didn’t belong, but he never did. ‘We were all judged on what we did, not where we came from, and we were all given the same opportunities. Those opportunities have never stopped coming.’
Bradford Grammar School gave Chris the opportunity to learn Russian. This gave him the opening to work in Russia, which ultimately saw him running a zinc mine and managing a workforce of 45,000. The rest is history.
Over this period in his life, Chris lost touch with the school. However, he was delighted when we approached him to ask if he’d consider becoming a donor. In reply, Chris has said: ‘Whenever I’m presented with a philanthropic opportunity, I always ask, ‘Can I make an impact?’ A donation of any size towards Assisted Places is immediately directed towards a young person who simply wouldn’t be able to attend BGS otherwise. And it can’t fail to transform their life. It’s guaranteed.’
Chris feels that supporting Assisted Places enriches his own life, as well as that of the pupils he’s helping. He attends occasions like Speech Day and the Christmas Concert whenever he can and is always accompanied by his mum, who loves to go back to where it all started for Chris. ‘The school always looks after us very well’ he notes.
Throughout his life, the old school motto ‘Hoc Age’ has always stayed with Chris – ‘just do it’. It continues to serve him well. If you can do anything for young local people, waiting for an Assisted Place, please do.
‘BGS enriched my life and made me who I am today. The relationships made, passions ignited and opportunities enjoyed cannot be quantified monetarily. They could change another young person’s life in the same way. I encourage all of you to donate.’
Q&A with Hamza
Q: Can you tell us about your experience at BGS?
A: I started at BGS in Year 7 on an Assisted Place and might not have been able to attend without it. I gained so much during my formative years at BGS, from the school motto Hoc Age, the teachers, the other pupils and the culture.
Q: What opportunities did you have?
A: Some were around opportunities with languages. I was a member of the Japanese club, went on a trip to Spain and took part in language competitions. I played on the hockey team, tried my hand at debating – and just enjoyed a far wider range of activities thanks to the extra opportunities offered at BGS.
Q: What do you like most about BGS?
A: The thing I like most about BGS is the attitude. The teachers are unfailingly helpful, to the extent that it seems like they want you to take up their time, even outside of lessons. They love their subject and they love the act of teaching. On top of that, people are humble, friendly and just pretty cool. They really are at ease with excellence.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: I’m planning on studying natural sciences at Durham University, which I probably wouldn’t have applied for without the advice of the higher education team. They brought in a range of people in different careers for talks, offered personalised help with UCAS and anything higher education related.
‘I’m so happy to be able to give amazing young people the opportunity my grant gave me.’
‘Your donation gives a pupil a lifetime of opportunities.’
‘The main thing Bradford Grammar has given me is opportunity in every shape of the word.’
‘I’m so passionate about Assisted Places. I want others to have the opportunities my assisted place has given me.’
‘Every opportunity I’ve had in life can be traced back to Bradford Grammar.’
‘We have set an ambitious course at BGS: to excel in all we do, and to improve the lives of those we advocate, and who will go on to serve the world.’
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We’d love to hear from you
We are extremely grateful for all donations. Thank you for making BGS one of your philanthropic priorities. Your gift opens our doors to a young person who simply wouldn’t be able to attend BGS without support.
If you would like to discuss your donation further, please contact Robin Sharp, Development Director, on 01274 553712, thank you.
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