Bedford Modern Award

£2 million needed for the first phase

The creation of new means tested Modern Awards begins this year which will recognise and support academic, sporting, performing arts’ talent as well as all-round ability, and attract and allow students from all backgrounds to be provided with a BMS education. Since consulting on these initiatives, the School has been very encouraged indeed by the considerable support for these ideas.

We also wish a number of these Modern Awards to be Foundation Awards that can be funded on an annual, recurrent basis or by building up sufficient capital to provide sufficient income.

Our target for Foundation Awards is:

Target

Five Foundation Awards a year. Cost up to £9,500 (based on 2007/08 fee) p.a. for 5 years, for each Award.

Two Foundation 6th Form Awards a year. Cost up to £9,500 (based on 2007/08 fee) p.a. for 2 years, for each Award.

To achieve all of the above will require an annual income in the first year of approximately £66,500 rising through until the fifth year to £275,500 at the fees charged for 2007/08. Endowed capital would have to be £1.1 million in the first year rising to £4.6 million in year 5; moreover, fee increases would require further increases in the size of endowment required year on year or the scheme would not be sustainable.

It would give Bedford Modern School great pleasure if OBMs or parents wished to name these new Awards after themselves, members of their family, or perhaps a contemporary or a member of staff whose presence at BMS made an impact on their lives. We like to recognise our benefactors and we feel that the sense of continuity that goes with named benefactions, many of them coming from those closely associated with the School, helps to make both past and current pupils aware of the affection that it inspires in so many who have been involved over the years.

If you would like to know more about the possibilities for naming, please make contact with the Development Office.

We also believe that it is vitally important that in this increasingly volatile world to build up a fund from which bursaries can be awarded to support girls and boys at BMS whose parents meet unexpected hardship. There are no naming opportunities associated with this because such help, where needed, is given discretely.