All donations and legacies are channelled through the Monmouth Schools’ Charitable Trust which was established in 2013 as a vehicle separate from the William Jones’s Schools Foundation (the endowment). The Trust was formed to support fundraising at both schools and to help establish a culture of philanthropic giving through donations and legacies.

Under the Monmouth Schools’ Charitable Trust, a William Jones Fund for the benefit of Monmouth School for Girls and a separate William Jones Fund for the benefit of Monmouth School for Boys have been created.

Trustees are predominantly former pupils with a vested interest in the success of fundraising. Most have directly benefited from the generosity of William Jones. We are grateful to those who give up their time to serve as trustees.

In the past, a Monmouth School education for boys of ability, from low-income families, was a given. Generations of boys, whether their parents could afford full fees or none, have been educated to the highest standard and gone on to play their part locally and nationally in business, academia, the arts, politics and sport. The Direct Grant system and latterly the Government Assisted Places Scheme (which ended in 1997) made Monmouth accessible for more families at different times in our history.

In 2014, to celebrate 400 years of Monmouth School, we launched FUND400. It was the first time since the end of Direct Grant that the school had appealed for money to directly help boys of ability attend the school. Half a million pounds was raised during that year and the school and recipients remain enormously grateful for the support received.

Over the past two years, the school has reassessed its priorities and focused on much-needed repair and renewal work around teaching, boarding and science.

This is now complete but has left a significant year-on-year shortfall in the amount of money available from the endowment to help with fee assistance. The focus now for fundraising is very firmly on the longer term aim to build a new William Jones (Bursary and Scholarship) Fund solely to provide ‘the gift of education’ to as many boys of ability from the local area as possible. The new fund will help with fees for boys who show potential, not just academically but also in music or sport.

We believe that a well-rounded education, which encourages children to become independent thinkers and leaders, is a life-changing gift. We believe that every child who is talented, willing to work hard and contribute to the ethos of the school should have access to the first-class education Monmouth provides, regardless of their personal financial circumstance. Please support Monmouth today.

David Hitchcock OBE
Chairman, Monmouth Schools’ Charitable Trust

“My parents did not have much money: our family home in the country didn’t benefit from mains electricity or indoor plumbing until I was 10. I was fortunate to gain a place as a county scholar to Monmouth School, where the education I received; the development of social skills and self-confidence; and the patient encouragement of my ability resulted in my graduation through art college. From there, I co-founded a design practice which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019. I have worked with national and international clients, applying the honesty and integrity I learnt from school, and have had a rewarding and exciting career. This would almost certainly have been denied me without the opportunity provided by the direct grant system.”

David Evans
Monmouth School for Boys (1957-1964)