What Are We ?
The Friends of Bedford Modern School
Bedford Modern School cannot continue to exist and thrive as it has done without the sustained generosity of its supporters. The School has benefited from the endowment of Sir William Harpur in years gone by, the benefits of which have provided bursaries for many OBMs who enjoyed their education and start in life at BMS. However, since 2005 the Bedford Charity’s newly agreed strategy re-directed endowment income, on an increasing scale over seven years, from the Schools and their bursary funds to local grant making; in three years we will cease to receive any endowment income. This means that we no longer enjoy the benefits of a permanent endowment and are having to make up the shortfall through other means. For this reason and our strong desire to continue the great work of Sir William, to widen access and to increase and improve the public benefit that we can provide, we have established a Development Programme for the long-term, the aims of which are to build sustainable and ongoing support for a range of institutional goals.
Bedford Modern School is a successful school and an excellent school with a continuing demand for places, high academic standards, the highest quality of pastoral care, a broad based and inspirational Common Room, success on the Games field and in Drama and Music. However, despite this evidence and despite the generosity of previous generations, together with the benefits of Sir William’s endowment, the School lacks its own resources to sustain and improve its determination to provide an education to all those boys and girls who might benefit.
It is our intention that the Development Programme will continue to build on the relationships between the School, its parents past and present, and OBMs, as well as nurturing and fostering friendships and relationship between OBMs themselves. Moreover, that it will develop relationships with current and former parents, grandparents and other active friends and supporters. We are working to build closer relationships with all groups and it is our strong desire that they will wish to take part in a programme of regular giving. The success of the Programme will be of crucial importance to Bedford Modern School in future years.
We have established over the past two years, what we always knew to be true, that there is tremendous goodwill towards the School and amongst OBMs. We believe that we have improved and continue to improve communications between the School and its alumni and stakeholders. Many of our friends have said that would they be willing to give regularly to the School or to assist us in other ways. The following pages support that willingness and provide information to enable your response which will help to determine Bedford Modern School’s future.
