Safeguarding the future of MGS bursary places
Posted on: October 23rd 2020School News
As a response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Manchester Grammar School (MGS) has launched its latest appeal to ensure the School can continue to offer means-tested bursary places to bright young men.
Since MGS was founded in 1515, the School’s aim has been to provide an education of the highest quality to academically gifted pupils, regardless of their parents’ financial circumstances or background.
We are immensely proud that, as a school, we have provided transformational bursaries to more than 600 MGS boys since the withdrawal of the Government’s Assisted Places Scheme in 1998, giving these young men access to a first-class education they might otherwise have missed out on because of their financial circumstances.
Remarkably, 52 MGS bursary recipients are now working for the NHS.
Since 1998, thanks to donations from former MGS pupils, parents and supporters, the MGS Trust bursary fund of almost £30 million has been established, and a further £22 million has been spent on life-changing bursaries.
Today, as a consequence of the Covid-19 crisis, the School has launched its ‘Bursary Now’ appeal to help safeguard bursary places for the next generation of pupils.
Chairman of Governors and Chairman of the Bursary Now Appeal, Maurice Watkins CBE said: “The MGS and Manchester communities have always come together to support the School in times of need. Now, more than ever, we are asking for charitable support so that the Covid-19 pandemic does not hinder our ability to offer future bursary places.
“Our ethos is that academic ability and potential should be the only criteria for entry to MGS and we want that to continue.”
The High Master, Dr Martin Boulton, added: “I know from speaking to former MGS pupils who have benefited from a bursary the life-changing impact it has had on them and their families. It has changed the course of their lives for the better. The economic impact of the virus has been huge, but now is the time to renew our commitment to offering disadvantaged children access to these bursary places, and to continue to honour the intentions of our founder, Bishop Hugh Oldham, in providing a first-class education to all able boys in the North West of England.
“We do not want to see the number of bursary candidates who gain access to this wonderful school to decrease, so we are asking members of our community who are in a position to help to support us through these difficult times. Every donation made will make a real difference to a young person’s life and enhance the education of all pupils.”
Over the past 100 years, the support of the MGS community has seen the School through some turbulent periods in our history.
Old Mancunians, parents and other supporters raised the equivalent of £5.4m to facilitate the move to our current location on Old Hall Lane in the 1930s. A further £10m was raised between 1998 and 2004 to kick-start our bursary programme following the Government’s phased removal of financial support to boys from modest backgrounds.
Anyone wishing to donate should visit our website at: https://www.mgs.org/854/the-bursary-now-appeal
