Forward to Our Roots - A Campaign For Bursaries
"The value of a bursary is, in a word, priceless. I will forever relish my memories of Merchant Taylors' and the truly unique opportunities that were afforded to me simply by virtue of being a student at the School. There is no doubt that my seven years at MTS have moulded me into the person I am today. A bursary does not just grant someone the great privilege of walking down the Long Drive, but helps to open many doors long after leaving the School. A bursary is much more than a sum of money: it is an opportunity - and it is an opportunity that I shall be forever grateful for."
Bursary Recipient, 2003-2010
450 years ago, at the height of the English Renaissance, a group of men belonging to The Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, undertook an act of great charity. Within the City Gates of London, they founded a school for their sons. The Founders' intentions, however, were that it was not just a school for the sons of wealthy merchants, but that it was also for "poore mens' sons".
As an act of philanthropy, it was unlike most others that came before. It was not a university to educate the elite, nor was it a medieval almshouse. Unlike the most ancient schools, the donation was not by royal or Episcopal direction, but by the burgeoning and prosperous middle class. This gift, and others like it, established an English tradition of giving to improve the lives of those who had less, to give them a hand-up instead of a hand-out.
These early philanthropists built a school for 250 boys, 150 of whom would not otherwise have received an education. The benefactors bought the books, lit the fires and paid the masters. To continue this great tradition, their legacy must now become our legacy.
Forward to Our Roots connects today's benefactors to the School's founding year and vision with a £7.5 million Campaign for Bursaries. We hope to raise a good proportion of that target amount for an endowment fund, so that a number of bursaries are endowed in perpetuity, but we will also augment this with funding for bursaries with immediate effect.
To make a gift to our Campaign, you can do so online here, or you can download a donation form here. However, we would strongly recommend that you contact our Development Director, Nick Latham at nlatham@mtsn.org.uk or on 01923 845 589 to discuss your donation.
To read an article about bursaries written by Stephen Wright, Head Master from 2004 to 2013, first published in Concordia, please click here.
Building Projects
The next exciting development on the school site will be an Indoor Cricket Centre. The majority of the funds required for the project will be from philanthropic donations. To find out more about the project or to make a donation, please visit the homepage for the campaign here.
For more information about future projects, please contact the Development Director, Nick Latham, at nlatham@mtsn.org.uk or on 01923 845 589, for more details.
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