Christ's Hospital
Blue Fund FAQs
The cost to educate a child will go up each year – will I be expected to increase my gift every year?
No, although anyone who would like to increase their gift each year would be welcome to do so. When the Blue Fund target is achieved and a child enters the school, fundraising will continue to support another child. At this point, a new target will be set using the current rate it would cost to educate a pupil at that time.
Why is a regular gift significant?
You can make a real difference by supporting a child not just today, but also over their lifetime at Christ’s Hospital. A regular gift allows us to plan for the future because we know, day in day out, that we will have a steady income stream over the course of a child’s seven year education at Christ’s Hospital, and as other Blue Fund pupils enter the school.
What if my circumstances change and I can no longer commit to a regular gift?
That’s not a problem. We realise that people’s circumstances change. First of all, we would suggest that you lowered your monthly gift. If that is not appropriate, you could drop out from the Blue Fund and come back in again when your circumstances have changed.
What contact will there be with the Blue Fund pupils?
Each Blue Fund pupil will have a Blue Fund Governor, nominated by the Development Office. The Governor will act a as a mentor and provide guidance and support to the pupil on behalf of the Blue Fund partnership of donors. Only one individual may take the role of Governor and have direct contact with the child. He/she will report back on the child’s progress to the Development Office who will keep donors updated via Blue Fund related publications.
What happens when the target is reached?
Once funds have been secured to cover the cost of educating a child for their full seven years at Christ’s Hospital, a child from a family in need of substantial financial support will be identified by the School Admissions Office to benefit from the Blue Fund.
Any surplus funds and pledges will then be rolled forward and fundraising will then continue to support another child.
How will we keep in touch?
Blue Fund donors will receive regular updates and newsletters from the Development Office on how their donations are benefiting pupils, as well as progress made towards the Blue Fund target.
You will receive stories on how Blue Fund pupils are getting on at the school and we will also make you aware of events and further opportunities for gatherings with others involved in the Blue Fund.
We look forward to keeping you updated with all of their successes at School through the Housey newsletter and social media – follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
How did the Blue Fund begin?
The Blue Fund was launched as a pilot scheme in 2012 by the Sue Thomson Foundation (STF). Devised by Neville Osmond (Old Blue), Susan Mitchell (Old Blue and former Treasurer) and Susannah Holliman (STF), the aim of the scheme was to “provide an accessible, affordable way to contribute to the full cost of a CH education for the neediest children by securing additional, fully funded places”. They appealed to around 100 of their contacts, each with various connections to CH, to invite them to join the Blue Fund Pilot. After a successful response to the pilot, the first STF Blue Fund presentee joined CH in September 2013. The scheme was adopted by the School and the fundraising model evolved over the years until it was re-launched to the entire CH community in 2016 and continues to be a success today.