Giving Day is over but we still need your help

Giving Day may be over, but our commitment to these vital Foundation projects continues! Your support is still crucial in making a lasting impact on the causes we hold dear. Let's keep the momentum going and make a difference together.

Bursaries

Bursaries, and the social mobility they fuel, have been at the DNA of Durham School since its medieval foundations. Today means-tested bursaries support 1 in 7 pupils across the Foundation, and provide vital financial assistance to deserving young people who otherwise would not be able to afford the school fees.


We work with a wide range of schools across the North East to ensure that we are able to target our support, especially in Sixth Form, where programmes like the Burkitt Scholarships provide life-changing opportunities for recipients and their families.

 

Bursaries also support current and former choristers, for example, providing continuity of education once their time in the Cathedral Choir has passed. They also support excellence in non-academic fields including drama, sport and art.

Our bursary support is underpinned by the generosity of Old Dunelmians, parents and other supporters who give generously to help current and future generations follow in their footsteps at Durham School and Chorister School.

Bursaries support talented young people, who give so much back to the Dunelmian community, academically and throughout school life. This diversity has always been important and is why Durham School has been an engine for social mobility across the region for over six centuries. With your help, this long-held tradition can continue to be what makes Durham flourish.

Wellbeing

As parents and caregivers, we want nothing more than to ensure the wellbeing and happiness of our children. We have achieved a great deal across all three sites of the Foundation since 2018, but this year for Giving Day we want to focus on wellbeing for our youngest pupils, those at Chorister School.

Mental health is a critical aspect of a child's overall health and wellbeing. In recent years, there has been growing awareness of the importance of supporting children's mental health, especially in the wake of the COVID pandemic. At the  Chorister School, as is the case at the rest of the Foundation, we are committed to providing a nurturing and supportive environment that fosters positive mental health outcomes for young people.


Investing in wellbeing early makes sense because of the positive effect it can have socially and academically, now and in the future. By supporting this initiative on Giving Day you can help us create a safe and supportive environment for all our pupils to thrive.

That is why we are keen to see additional bursaries, supported by parents and alumni help us, along with support from the school and cathedral, to fill this breach. Whatever your interest in the choral world, perhaps as a former chorister or parent, a regular churchgoer or someone with a passion for music, our bursary fund is a very practical way in which you can help.

Give to Wellbeing 

The Playground Pavilion

We are not too far away from being able to break ground on the new home for sport at DCSF, but we also still need to raise another £80,000 to complete the project. The pavilion is important, and not only as a place for sportsmen and women to change before playing cricket , rugby or one of the many other sports played on the playground.

It will be a central focus for lots of different co-curricular activities, including many of our 79 different clubs and societies. It will be a social hub for teams, their players and parents. It will be a key space for developing important life skills such as teamwork, communication, leadership, and problem solving.

By encouraging physical activity, building social connections, enhancing academic performance, and teaching important life skills, the new Pavilion will have a positive impact on the lives of all our current and future pupils, and your gifts today bring us another step closer to completing the project.
Give to The Playground Pavilion

The Le Fleming Library

School libraries play a crucial role in the education of pupils and across the Foundation we are delighted to say we have three libraries, one on each of our sites – Bow, Cathedral and Durham School. The Durham School library has recently been refurbished and now offers a wider range of resources that can support pupil learning including books, journals, magazines and of course a wide range of digital resources. This wealth of information gives pupils the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and broaden their  horizons.

Research skills are taught as part of the curriculum, and pupils are encouraged to read widely through a range of events and activities. 

The library is also a wellbeing area, and provides a safe and welcoming space for young people to learn and explore. Books not only provide access to information but also are a  place where pupils can discover new worlds, learn new skills, and pursue their passions. By making a gift to support our library you are investing in the intellectual and emotional growth of young people, and creating a space where they can feel supported and empowered.

 
Give to the Library

Rowing

Durham School Boat Club proudly boasts to be the 3rd oldest rowing club in the world. Today that history makes it well-placed to support the next  generation of rowers across the North East and beyond.

As a high-performance sport, senior pupils at the School regularly go on to row for their country, and the standard remains exceptionally high. To support this, there is a broad intake of rowers from Year 6 to Year 9 across the Foundation. 

To achieve this, the boat club relies on the generosity of ODs and parents to support the purchase of new boats and equipment. In recent years this has enabled the club to acquire more modern boats, but additional boats and equipment are still needed particularly at the younger end of the club. Your gift to rowing, however large or small, will make a huge difference to the opportunities current and future pupils have to get on the water.


Give to Rowing 

Outreach

Our outreach & partnership programme shares the knowledge and enthusiasm of teachers and pupils across the Foundation with local state schools and community groups. 

 

For example, our Head of Science, Traci Moore, regularly takes lessons and workshops into local primary and secondary schools. "A robotics workshop for example can really turn pupils on to science and engineering - and the kit to teach this lesson across a number of different schools might be as little as £50."

Our pupils and staff are also involved in running sessions for local schools in subjects as diverse as Classics, languages, and music. Outside the classroom, our partnership work extends to sports as diverse as cricket , modern pentathlon and swimming.

Pupils are also deeply involved with the community - volunteering with local food banks for example. All this costs money - whether in physical resources like robotics kits, teaching time, or even simply transport to ensure goods donated can be distributed. Every donation made to Outreach through Giving Day will be amplified in its impact with the local community.
Give to Outreach 

Drama

The old gymnasium was converted into the Luce Theatre over four decades ago. It has been the home for generations of productions and rehearsals – musicals like Billy Elliott and Les Misérables, thought-provoking drama like The Crucible, great works of Shakespeare, and more. It has also been a place for generations of drama students to learn their craft and devise and perform A level and GCSE pieces. However, it is now showing its age and investment is needed in modern technical equipment and to create better dressing room facilities.

Throughout the Foundation, plays and performances encourage self-confidence and communication skills. House competitions, co-curricular and academic drama all provide opportunities for pupils to grow and develop. Imagine the impact your donation can have on generations of pupils by making a gift to support drama at Durham.

Give to Drama

Where the Need is Greatest

If you are happy for Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation to decide which Giving Day project to add your support to, then please give to this project. The money will be used to make sure we can complete each project, with any additional funds being used to support bursaries.

Give to where the need is greatest

Follow Your Passion

We cant cover every area of interest, but if you have a specific programme, or area of Foundation activity you would like to support, whether that is The Choir, the baskeball team or an academic area of interest please make a donation here, and we will be in touch to see how we can use your gift to support your area of interest .

Give to follow your passion