Giving Back
to EHS

Edgbaston High School is committed to providing its pupils with the highest quality education, preparing them for life beyond EHS by equipping them with the necessary skills and attitude to embrace challenge and forge a rewarding career. This is achieved through an energetic and encouraging approach to the full education and development of each individual and by wide commitment to the strong community at the School's heart. To meet that challenge it we must invest in all aspects of the school, and invest in the girls.

EHS does not have an endowment or reserves to call on and is completely reliant on fee income and fundraising to support significant new developments. We are a school with bold ambitions for the future and we are grateful to all supporters throughout the school community including Old Girls, the EHS Parents' Association, current and former parents, and staff.

There are numerous ways you can support EHS, whether it’s sharing your expertise with current pupils by leading a workshop or giving a talk via the new Athena Network, donating to our new Opportunities Award or leaving a Legacy donation. Your support will make a difference and we are always keen to hear from you.

My Legacy - by Lindsay Lucas

As past Chair, I thought I'd share my experience and story with you all as a way of introducing the concept of legacies in the Association. You may know that my daughter, Bethany, followed in my footsteps and joined EHS in year 7. She is a keen singer and she quickly settled into making new friends and getting involved in the performing arts. Under the expert tutelage of Suzzie Vango, her singing teacher in school, it became clear that Beth had a voice that lent itself very well to choral singing as well as some solo work. 

When she was in her second term at EHS, her father died very suddenly, leaving me in a precarious position in many ways but particularly financially! EHS helped us incredibly and I have felt ever since that once I was back on my feet again, that I wanted to give back. Indeed, more recently the OGA sponsored Bethany on an Eton choral course that gave her a rich experience, confirming for her that she wanted to apply for a university choral scholarship. 

Apart from serving the school by chairing the committee for the past two years, I felt there also had to be a way of giving back financially, as a way of thanking the EHS community for all they had done for Bethany and me. Obviously, leaving a legacy (a one-off amount) in my will to be used specifically by the Association to benefit others was an easy choice to make. However, there was another way I could help.

In the past few years, the Committee has pioneered an 'Opportunities Award'. If a current pupil has a particular need, the Headmistress has made it known to the committee; we have then discussed how to make discretionary funds available under the umbrella of this particular award. It has already been awarded to benefit one individual - at the Head's discretion of course!  

It was recently brought to my attention that there was another short-term need to provide music tuition for a current pupil; it occurred to me that a legacy left in my will could not provide help today, so I have come up with the idea of a 'Living Legacy'. This means that I can give a sum of money to the OGA Committee to be used as a discretionary award to meet this short-term need. I particularly favoured a musical connection as it would reflect how Bethany benefitted in the past, at a time when we appreciated it so very much. The Opportunities Award would be supplemented by any Legacy or Living Legacy granted in the future. I have found it incredibly rewarding to know that my living legacy will benefit a current pupil now, while my legacy when I die will surely benefit girls in the future. 

Gifts to the Old Girls' Association will continue to serve the alumni of the school and it is a pleasure to know that your ability to 'give back' will continue for years into the future. If you would like some further information please contact the school on 0121 454 5831 or via oldgirls@edgbastonhigh.co.uk