From charity events and activities to consistent bursary-fund sourcing, this award marks outstanding outreach successes
St Dunstan?s seeks to use its history of being ?a school ahead of its time? as a way to showcase the vital role that independent schools play in forging a dynamic, contemporary society, and this is why it led the Fundraising field this year. 
The turning point for the school’s push to ensure that Lewisham children from a wide variety of backgrounds gain access to a St Dunstan’s education was 2022?s appointment of Isabelle Blake-James as the college’s first Director of Development. 
She embarked on a purposeful segmenting of the alumni community, while capitalising on the raw goodwill of the development board. She secured three full bursaries for sixth formers within eight weeks, and in parallel, launched a legacy campaign for all alumni over the age of so. 
By also increasing the number of development board members to 20, with a key pledge that each would contribute £1,000 annually towards the Development Board Bursary, allowing one state-educated Lewisham student to join the college each year. 
The response has been overwhelming with the expected income for the 2022-3 academic year alone approaching £750,000, encompassing legacy giving, bursary donations and a grant from the Record Scholarship Trust.
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