FROM THE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Simon Williams replaced Nicky Bryant as Development Director at The Leys in Summer 2009. Grateful thanks go to Nicky for all her hard work for The Leys over the last four years and we wish her all the best in her new role with a major national charity. Simon looks ahead to the challenges and opportunities which the coming years will bring:
I’m delighted to join The Leys at what is a very interesting and challenging time not just for the School, but for the whole independent education sector. Now, more than ever, The Leys must enlist the support of its whole community to be able to meet its future needs. The School has exciting development plans for the coming years, of which the keystone will be the new Science and Performing Arts Centre. This will redevelop the site of the existing theatre between Fen and School Houses and provide a new heart to the day-to-day life of The Leys. It’s a great privilege to be able to work with the School community in making this fantastic project a reality.
I’ve had the opportunity to meet a number of Old Leysians over the course of the summer and to hear some of your views on the School’s past, present and future. Over the next few years, I hope to get out and meet as many of you as possible in person and share our ambitions. Your opinions, ideas and support will be vital to The Leys as we forge ahead with our goals – so do feel free to get in touch with me at any point.
I recently returned to the UK after seven years overseas – altogether I’ve spent the last eleven years in institutional fundraising, most recently at Trinity College Dublin. But coming to Cambridge isn’t too unfamiliar – my first development job was at my alma mater, Pembroke College, Cambridge, where I spent two of my three years as an undergraduate just across the road from The Leys in Panton Street. It’s good to be back – and the warm welcome I’ve received has made it feel very much a homecoming.
A TRADITION OF DEVELOPMENT
The Leys has never benefited from a large capital endowment and has always relied on the generosity of its friends and supporters to meet the School’s evolving needs. The Leys was founded on an act of charity and the extraordinary support of successive generations of Old Leysians, parents and friends of the School have enabled it to carry out a number of key physical developments over the last 134 years:
| 1875 | Founding of The Leys. Supporters are asked to subscribe £50 (Donors) or £100 (Life Donors) towards a total endowment target of £15,000 (the equivalent of £700,000 at 2009 prices). |
| 1893 | The Kelvin Building, which today houses the Bursary and Development Office, is opened providing the School's first dedicated science facilities. |
| 1905 | At the request of the Chairman of Governors, Sir George Hayter Chubb, a small group of leading Methodists and Old Leysians provide funding for the construction of the School Chapel. The building is completed in 1906. |
| 1930 | Donations enable the School to purchase the Latham Road playing fields. |
| 1973 | The Queens Building is opened. It currently houses teaching resources for English, Drama and Theatre Studies. |
| 1987 | The Percy Rugg Centre, housing new facilities for technology and the creative arts, is completed with major support from the Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation and contributions from parents and Old Leysians. |
| 2002 | The Clapham Building is opened by HRH Prince Phillip, housing spacious modern classrooms for the teaching of Humanities subjects, a computer room, Sixth Form seminar rooms and the School’s Archive Centre. |
| 2005 | The Music School opens following a successful four year Development Campaign which raises £1.38m. |
| 2008 | The Sports Pavilion project is finished with support from a number of Old Leysians, completing the final phase of sports facilities development begun in the 1990s with the construction of the Sports Hall and the Neil White all-weather hockey pitch. |
FUTURE PLANS
The Leys is committed to improving its reputation as a top co-educational boarding and day school and continuing its proud tradition of providing the best possible facilities for its pupils.
Over the next few years, our development activities will focus on raising £3.5m for an exciting capital development, the Great Hall project (the Science & Performing Arts Centre), which will provide state-of-the-art facilities for the teaching of science, a purpose-built theatre and dedicated space for drama and dance. Perhaps most importantly, the building will become the new heart of The Leys community, providing a pleasant, functional space where the whole School can come together for morning assembly and other gatherings. Planning permission has been granted for the project and we will be updating the website with more details in the near future!
In addition to providing this vital new facility, The Leys wishes to continue to improve its provision of bursaries and scholarships, particularly to assist able pupils who would otherwise lack the financial means to attend. A number of smaller projects, including the refurbishment of existing houses, new cricket nets, an electronic scoreboard, development of the climbing wall and rowing equipment, will also form part of our fundraising programme. Please contact the Development Office at any time if you would like any more information on any aspect of the School’s development activities.
Supporting The Leys
There are various ways you can make a contribution to The Leys School. If you have any questions about any aspect of the School’s development activities, please contact the Development Office by email or by telephone (01223 508927).
As The Leys is a registered charity*, donors to the School can increase the value of their gifts at no extra cost to themselves while simultaneously reducing their income tax liabilities. Some of the ways in which a tax-efficient contribution to the School can be made are detailed below:
Regular Giving
Regular donations can be made by Standing Order on an annual, quarterly or monthly basis according to the donor's wishes. If the donor is a UK taxpayer, the School can reclaim 22%** in basic rate income tax paid on regular donations. Donors paying higher rate tax can personally reclaim the difference between the basic (20%) and higher (40%) tax rates in their self-assessment tax returns.
Complete information on Gift Aid, including reclaims for higher-rate taxpayers, can be found at the Directgov website.
In 2009, the UK Goverment announced a 50% top rate of tax (with no available reliefs) for individuals earning over £150,000 per annum. Under the Gift Aid Scheme, a donor to The Leys can claim the difference between the basic and top rates of tax against their personal income tax liability. Donors may also choose to allow The Leys to receive tax reclaimed in this way through their self-assessment tax returns. Please contact The Development Office if you would like further information on tax-efficient giving.
One-off Gifts
Donations can be made by cheque, credit or debit card, or bank transfer whenever it is convenient. Like regular donations, one-off gifts are eligible for the Gift Aid Scheme. By completing a donation form, the School can reclaim basic rate income tax paid on a donor's gift. In addition, higher rate taxpayers can claim the difference between the basic and higher rates of tax.
See the Directgov website for further information on the Gift Aid scheme.
Donation of Shares
Legislation covering the donation of shares and other securities has recently changed in favour of charitable donors, making this one of the most efficient ways of making a contribution to The Leys.
Donated shares are not liable for Capital Gains Tax and, in addition, a donor can claim the market value of donated shares against their income tax liabilities. A donation of shares originally purchased for £5,000, which have increased in value since purchase to £12,500, will bring £12,500 to the School, but donors will receive income tax relief of up to 40% of the total value of their donation (£5,000 in this example). By transferring ownership of these shares to the School (rather than selling the shares and making a cash donation from the proceeds) the donor can save a further 18% in Capital Gains Tax relief (18% of the £7,500 CGT liability in this case is £1,350). The total cost of a £12,500 donation in this example would thus be £6,150.
NB: The Leys recommends that donors considering making a gift of shares or other securities obtain appropriate financial advice. The availability of tax reliefs (as in the above example) varies according to capital appreciation and personal tax status.
Payroll Giving
Payroll giving schemes automatically deduct the value of donations from an employee's gross salary before tax is paid. Employers who operate payroll giving schemes may also match employees' donations, increasing the value of gifts to the School at no cost to the donor.
Transfer of Assets
Donations of any capital assets made to the School (for example property, works of art or other goods) do not incur Capital Gains Tax or Inheritance Tax, whether or not it is the donor's intention that these should be sold by The Leys and realised as cash.
Overseas Donors
Donors living in the USA can make a tax-efficient gift to The Leys via the British Schools & Universities Foundation . When making a donation via BSUF, please express your recommendation that BSUF allocates your donation to The Leys.
If you live outside the USA, please contact the Development Office about possible tax reliefs in your country of residence.
* The Leys School is governed under the auspices of The Leys & St Faith's Schools Foundation, Registered Charity No 311436.
**The Basic Rate of UK Income Tax was changed from 22% to 20% in the 2008 budget. However, a transitional tax relief in effect until April 2011 allows the School to continue to claim Gift Aid at a rate of 22%.