On Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th June 2022, Downside held its first-ever Giving Day. A fun-filled 36-hour challenge which brought the entire community together, from pupils, staff, parents, OGs and anyone associated with Downside to celebrate our founding year in Somerset, 1814, whilst focusing on creating a brighter future for current and future pupils.
The School took part in various activities and challenges throughout Giving Day, including the community challenge to walk 1814km collectively, with Old Gregorians, parents and staff all contributing from across the globe, including the Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho to the President of St Gregory’s Society, Jonny Grew (C77) at the Angel of the North, Gateshead.
Pupils and staff wrote a Message of Hope, prayer or wish for the School, which was displayed on a hanging wall at the Giving Day Hub on the Theatre Terrace, including messages that were submitted from our wider community. As part of 3 Days in June, activities continued with the Giving Day theme of our founding year, including an 18th Century Bake Off, making signature bakes from the Bristol Gregorian Cooking book, the Art Department created a collage of historic photographs with excerpts from The Raven and the Kayaking group formed 1814 using their bodies and kayaks.
On Tuesday afternoon, we reached our target of 150 donors, meaning Mr Hobbs, Head, faced the forfeit of sitting in ice-cold water in true Somerset style, in the bucket of a tractor on the Worth Lawn! Click below to watch the forfeit in action.
A huge thank you to all who support and took part in our first Giving Day. It was an enormous success and demonstrates how blessed we are with such a powerful community, sharing in the same vision for the future of the School.
Together, we raised over £82,000 for our areas of greatest need: the Father Laurence Bursary Fund, the Historic Restoration and Renewal Fund, and the Hardship Recovery Fund. This couldn’t have happened without all 206 donors and we are so grateful and humbled by your generosity. All three projects ensure we can continue to give the gift of education for generations to come.
Thank you from all at Downside.
