Trustees

Established in 1994 to celebrate Kingswood’s Centenary, and with the purpose of gathering a capital fund for use by Kingswood for the future, the Kingswood College Centenary Trust has been the custodian of all funds raised for Kingswood since that time.

With time, and wise investments, the Trust fund has grown to a sizeable war chest which is used to assist the College annually, as well as funding special capital projects like the construction of the new girls’ house, Kirkby House in 2004, and more recently, the Astroturf and Swimming Pool development (2007), the High Performance Centre (2011), the Cohen Building (2013), the Kent Hall portico (2014) and Hobson House (2018). Ever-vigilant of the capital amount, the Trust often makes finance available as interest-free or low-interest loans, relying on donations and fundraising for special projects to replenish the capital.

Through prudent investments and careful management, monies donated to Kingswood College are well looked after and wisely spent. Over the years the Trust has utilised the professional services of Mellville Douglas in managing its investment portfolio

Trustees of the Centenary Trust and the Scholarship and Bursary Trust

  • Mr Jonty Fincham (Chairman)
  • Mr Alistair Collier
  • Mr Alex Elliot
  • Mr Brian Stocks
  • Mr Bruce Brown
  • Mr James Starke
  • Adv Lawrence Schafer 

Beginnings: The Kingswood Foundation

In 2019 Kingswood College will reflect on its past and look to its future. Looking back on the 125 years since our founding in 1894, the school has much to celebrate and to give thanks for. Nonetheless, we also know that the school must serve, in equal measure, future generations of young Kingswoodians. In planning for our future, and recognising the fact that our current environment has been created out of the legacy of generations of old Kingswoodians, we know that the future of the school will depend on our ability to keep the broader Kingswoodian community closely connected to the activities of the school.

To remain at the forefront of independent education in South Africa the Foundation must be at the forefront of driving projects that support the future sustainability of the school. There can be no doubt that the future of independent education rests on the ability to ensure that we can continue to provide a highly resourced and quality educational product, without pricing ourselves out of the market. To this end, the Kingswood College Council has embarked on investigating ways in which the school can build its resource capacity.

The outcome of those deliberations has led to the creation of the Kingswood College Foundation. Following some exhaustive research and in-depth discussions, the Foundation is now a reality having been launched during our 2018 Parents Week. In the words of the Chair of Council, Mrs Di Hornby, the establishment of the Foundation is a “game changer” and is designed, “to create enough wealth so that we can deal with the affordability, infrastructure and other future needs of the College”. Globally independent education

has recognised the need strategically to build wealth in order to ensure a more diverse income base and hence reduce a reliance on fee income to support the activities of a school. Given the significance of the school’s 125th celebration, we are now in a position not only to recognise the importance of our contribution to education in the Eastern Cape and South Africa, but also to ensure that the school will continue to play an important role in shaping the minds of future generations of young Kingswoodians. Our past needs to pave the way for the future and we need to capitalise on all our resources to ensure that Kingswood remains a vibrant, relevant and leading South African independent school.

Within the brief of the Foundation, there will be a need to work closely with a number of College entities. These include the Old Kingswoodian Club, the Centenary and Scholarship Trusts, Wyvern, Legends Fund as well as other income generating groups within the College’s structures. This will offer the Foundation an opportunity to have oversight of the school’s greater fundraising capacity. Kingswood needs to build on the legacy of the last 125 years so that in 2144, when celebrating 250 years of its existence, it will still be providing its community with a highly regarded and respected educational environment. The establishment of the Foundation heralds the start of the next 125 years of Educating for Life.