thrive seckford foundation annual review 2016 SECKFORD FOUNDATION I am delighted to present the Seckford authority consent to develop The Abbey site to have appointed several new trustees, details Foundation’s third annual review, which sets out accommodate the pre-prep Queen’s House and, of whom can be found on our website. Of details of the varied activities in which we were hopefully, a nursery: moves that will take place particular note is the recruitment of a number engaged during 2016. in September 2018. The Trustees believe that of young trustees, addressing the fact that the from an educational perspective it is important majority of our beneficiaries are under 25. Amongst the highlights was our collaboration that the transition from pre-prep to prep should They are already contributing actively to our with Suffolk’s other leading charities on a major be as seamless as possible, with a consistent discussions and decision making. and long term programme to address the needs approach to the education of the children of those people in Suffolk who suffer from rural Another important appointment during in our care. deprivation and isolation. FLOURISH, as the the year was that of Melanie Chew as our initiative is called, was launched in October at While Woodbridge Free School, as it was Development Director. Melanie has many a Rural Summit attended by representatives of originally called, was founded in 1662, our free years’ experience of fund raising in the charity the leading voluntary and public bodies in the schools in Beccles, Ixworth and Saxmundham, sector, most recently for East Anglia’s Children’s County. Out of this summit emerged a number funded by central government, are still in Hospices. Contrary to the assumption of many, of work streams – better access to legal services; their infancy, but they are beginning to make the Seckford Foundation is not a wealthy body: broadband and mobile coverage; transport; their mark on the communities they serve, yes, we have extensive property assets, but aspiration skills and jobs; strengthening providing a more traditional alternative to the these are mostly used as an integral part of the communities and tackling rural isolation; and other schools in their respective areas. As we work we undertake and do not generate free rural business – from which will be drawn describe on 12 GCSE results have thus far been cash for the organization. Our only “unearned” by the middle of 2017 an action plan. We lower than we would have hoped, but in terms income comes from our limited investments and the other promoters of FLOURISH are of adding value, an important measure of the and is fully utilised in our ongoing activities determined that the initiative should lead to a ability of a school to enhance outcomes beyond in the community. So the blunt truth is that long term commitment to the county. You can expectations, the Free Schools Trust is making if we want to expand the depth or breadth of read more about FLOURISH and our separate, significant advances which we hope and expect what we do we need to raise funds to do it – but connected, research into the effects of rural will be reflected in 2017’s results. More details whether it be to provide more bursaries to allow deprivation on young people, on page 3. of their progress and achievements can be found disadvantaged pupils to attend Woodbridge on pages 14-19. School, enhance our care facilities or expand Seckford Care witnessed a number of significant “ The important our programmes for young people. milestones during the year. At the start of 2016 Seckford Springboard, which sets out we opened a new day care facility in the Octagon to enhance the opportunities for young 2017 already looks like being as busy and Centre close to the centre of Woodbridge; in people to improve their educational and challenging as 2016 has been, and I would like June we enlarged the capacity of Jubilee House, employment prospects through the provision to thank all our officers, employees, volunteers, thing is not to our residential care home, with the provision of of apprenticeship opportunities, mentoring and supporters and my fellow governors for their a further five rooms; and at about the same time, financial support, is making significant progress, past and ongoing contributions to the work following an unannounced inspection, we were and we are proud that this recent initiative is of the Foundation. delighted to be awarded by the Care Quality already making a difference to the lives of many Commission an “Outstanding” grade for the young people in the county. See pages 24-27. stop questioning.” care provided at Seckford Almshouses. Many Jonathan Ripman, our longest serving trustee, congratulations to the management and staff for retired from the Board at the end of 2016, but providing such a welcoming, happy and caring ALBERT EINSTEIN we retain the benefit of his wisdom and deep environment for our residents. knowledge of the local voluntary sector through The big news at Woodbridge School is that him remaining a member of the Community Roger Finbow we have just received from the local planning Benefit Committee. In the last few months we Chairman of the Seckford Foundation 1 SECKFORD FOUNDATION CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR P P P P 04 08 20 24 SECKFORD SECKFORD SECKFORD SECKFORD FOUNDATION EDUCATION CARE SPRINGBOARD CHAPTER ONE SECKFORD FOUNDATION 04 SECKFORD FOUNDATION IN THE COMMUNITY 06 CHAPTER TWO SECKFORD EDUCATION 08 WOODBRIDGE SCHOOL 10 SECKFORD FOUNDATION FREE SCHOOLS TRUST 12 BECCLES FREE SCHOOL 14 “ Our greatest national IXWORTH FREE SCHOOL 16 SAXMUNDHAM FREE SCHOOL 18 resource is the minds CHAPTER THREE SECKFORD CARE 20 of our children.” CHAPTER FOUR SECKFORD SPRINGBOARD 24 WALT DISNEY SUMMARY 28 2 3 CHAPTER “ Kindness - that simple word. To be kind - it covers 1 everything, to my mind. If you’re kind that’s it.” SECKFORD ROALD DAHL FOUNDATION We promote and support the education and care of the young and the elderly in and around the town of Woodbridge and the county of Suffolk. Originally founded with a gift from a prominent Elizabethan lawyer, Thomas Seckford, the Foundation is committed to: • Enabling elderly people to lead safe, secure, independent and fulfilling lives and caring for them when in need • Helping younger people to achieve their potential and to lead financially independent and productive lives • Strengthening the communities in which those we support live, aiming to reduce the effects of rural isolation Although proud of our history we do not live in the past; on the contrary the trustees regularly revisit our aims and aspirations to make sure they remain relevant and achieve maximum impact in the 21st century. “I work with the Seckford Foundation on a number of projects, and like many others am deeply impressed with the scale and scope of their work, the people and organizations they bring together to focus on practical problem- solving, their thought-leadership and evidence gathering, and the significant outcomes they achieve as a result. The Foundation is respected hugely, and the experienced team can be trusted to deliver on their promises.” MARK PENDLINGTON TRUSTEE, THE PRINCE’S COUNTRYSIDE FUND AND CHAIRMAN, NEW ANGLIA ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP 4 5 CHAPTER ONE SECKFORD FOUNDATION SECKFORD FOUNDATION IN THE COMMUNITY To mark the 500th anniversary of the birth We were pleased to provide the services of of Thomas Seckford in 1515, the Foundation our Development Director, Melanie Chew, as decided to commission the University of principal organiser and co-ordinator for the Suffolk to undertake a piece of research summit, which was chaired by Sir Thomas into the effects on young people of rural Hughes-Hallett, a prominent philanthropist deprivation in the county (see below). and resident of Suffolk, and facilitated by BBC’s Coincidentally we discovered that the Suffolk Bill Turnbull. Agricultural Association, supported by FLOURISH is a call to action for local the Suffolk Community Foundation, was organizations to work together to better proposing to launch an initiative to address support people in the rural areas of our county, problems arising from rural deprivation, and particularly those in deprivation. The Summit it was agreed between the parties that we prompted many pledges of commitment on should work together to identify and seek to the day and thereafter, and these can be seen in address the myriad of issues that are faced by detail at www.flourishingsuffolk.org.uk underprivileged people in rural Suffolk. There is a real commitment to continuing this The first concrete outcome of this collaboration area of work; a number of work streams arose was a major summit held at Trinity Park in out of the Summit and the Foundation has October. FLOURISH, the Rural Summit for agreed to lead on a collaborative project called Suffolk, brought together 150 local leaders in ‘Aspiration, Skills and Jobs for Young People’. business, public and voluntary sectors to debate We will be working with other organizations the county’s growing issues around rural poverty around the county to better support young and to agree to work collaboratively to tackle people, particularly in our rural areas. such issues. The research commissioned from the University The event was spearheaded by the strong of Suffolk is nearing completion and will motivation of Clare, Countess of Euston, inform the Foundation’s priorities as it seeks to Suffolk’s Lord Lieutenant, working with Suffolk help and support young people in rural Suffolk Community Foundation, Suffolk Agricultural in particular to overcome the hurdles they face Association, the Seckford Foundation and in progressing from school to employment. We Community Action Suffolk, with support from hope to publish the findings very shortly.