This Office came into being in 2004 when the school began to plan the celebration of its centenary, with an appeal that would leave a permanent legacy to the school. Our target for the appeal was £1 million to go towards the building of the Sports Centre and Modern Foreign Languages block. The appeal, which culminated in 2007 with a number of organised events, was extremely successful and in 2009 both buildings were officially opened by HRH Princess Anne, The Princess Royal.

In the summer of 2010 we ran “The Summer Gifting Appeal” with parents and past Georgians and raised £77,000 in just over 6 weeks, which enabled the school to re-site and update the Sixth Form Centre and move the Music department to Old Goddard House. In the Sixth Form Centre these funds enabled us to create a study area equipped with 52 computers, a new servery, social centre and coffee bar and office facilities. For the Music department, we funded two new classrooms with 27 Apple Mac computers, electronic facilities to enable 32 pupils to partake in fully interactive lessons, a Music Technology room, a much improved recording room, offices and two instrumental stores.

In 2011 we were able to equip the Humanities and Religious Studies room with computers. We also gained funding from a Government scheme towards the refurbishment of two of our Science labs, but with several labs still in need of refurbishment we had a shortfall of £53,000. So at the beginning of 2013 we launched the Science Lab Appeal which initially raised just over £28,000 and in 2014 the Summer Party and Auction, held in conjunction with the Parent School Association (PSA), raised a further £11,000.

The Development Office staff also work closely with the Old Georgians Association as the contact between past pupils and the school. An alumni database is maintained within the school and can be accessed by Old Georgians so that events such as the Annual School Reunion, held in July, can be organised as well as the Christmas Carol Concert held at the end of each autumn term. Each year our Alumni are contacted via an Annual Fund letter which updates them on projects and gives them the opportunity to make donations to the school or consider leaving a legacy via our Legacy Programme. The staff also attend the PSA meetings and help to organise a number of PSA events such as the School Fete held at the end of each academic year.

The Development Office continues to look at the long term plans and needs for the school and ways of raising these much needed funds. If you would like to discuss the work of the office or wish to make a donation to the school then please do not hesitate to contact us. You can also purchase a named brick for our Sports Centre wall as a permanent record of your days at St George's via the order form below.

Susanne Mackenzie Development Co-ordinator

Susanne is responsible for the management of the Development Office and for the strategy for fundraising and Alumni relations.

Also the maintenance of the Alumni database, processing of donations and Annual Fund mailing and the day to day running of the Development Office.

Tel: 01582 765477

Email: development@stgeorges.herts.sch.uk