Old Queenians and Friends

Old Queenians and Friends

Old Queenians

Old Queenians

Students become members of the Old Queenians Association (OQA) when they leave school. The Association is funded by the School in the form of an annual grant but the day to day running of the Association is organised by the Development Office here at School.

The Development Office publishes a bi-annual newsletter distributed to all OQs on our mailing list. If you would like to receive regular copies please email the Development office.  If you have any news to pass on or a photo from your latest reunion, please do email it to the office as we would be delighted to hear from you.

Many OQs take an active part in Careers Fairs held at the School, passing on further education, business and careers knowledge to guide pupils in deciding their future after Queen’s. The Association also makes grants to the School in support of capital investment programmes – for example, one grant of £25,000 enabled the School to resurface and extend the tennis courts.

The OQA is about being part of a vibrant extended College community and ongoing support for all College activity.  From giving back financially with regular donations, through to being a business mentor for current students, there is so much the pupils of the past can do to support the education of the present. Do not hesitate to get involved today.

Add your name to the Wyvern Wall

Consider supporting our latest Foundation fund-raising initiative by adding your name to the Wyvern Wall- We’re approaching the 100th plaque on the Wyvern Wall in our Dining Hall as part of the Foundation’s fund-raising efforts. The wall is open to all OQs, former and current staff members as well as Friends of Queen’s. All of the money raised goes towards the important work of the Queen’s College Foundation in improving the education we offer our children. You can sign up to have your name on the wall via our Just Giving account – simply click here.

 

Friends of Queen’s College

The members of Friends of Queen’s College (FOQ) are all parents or past parents who support school functions and activities, manage various fundraising events and social activities and support school projects. Run by a committee who meet regularly with the College Leadership Team, the Friends draw upon help and support from other parents to help arrange functions and to bring together members of the great Queen’s College community. If you would be interested in becoming involved in Friends of Queen’s, please email contact@queenscollege.org.uk.

Annual social events include a cheese and wine evening for new parents, a quiz night, a Burns Night party, arranging the annual Year 7 and Year 8 disco and putting together a summer term fete. The Ball Committee also meet to support the annual Queen’s College Ball – an event in which the Sixth Form, staff, parents and friends all get together to celebrate the end of the school year and say farewell to the Year 13 leavers.

Over the last few years the Friends have helped to fund the refurbishment of the cricket pavilion, provided a IT hardware for the Art Department, funded four cycle trailers for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and a sheltered seating area overlooking the Astro pitches. Regular contributions are made to the Sidney Lawton Trust whcih raises money for musical pupils. The Friends raise funds at sports events and have provided the excellent benches overlooking the new Astro. They also manned the Quartz cafe to raise funds towards the Queen’s College Quartz Entertainment Fund.

Our Friends are an important part of educational projects and outreach work undertaken by the College.

Development

Development

WELCOME TO THE QUEEN’S COLLEGE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE

The Development Office at Queen’s College was established in 2002 to engage the wider school community and to support Queen’s College by raising funds for particular projects and for bursaries to help those pupils who would otherwise be unable to make the most of their talents.

This can only be done with the combined help and effort of the wider Queen’s community – our staff, parents, grandparents, former pupils and former parents and Governors – all working together for the greater good of the School. The role of the Development Office, supported by the Queen’s College Taunton Foundation Committee, is to encourage co-operation between interested parties, engaging people in social events, improving communication between the School and its supporters and encouraging everyone to support the School and contribute in any way they can.

If you would like to contact the Development team, please call 01823 330852 or email development@queenscollege.org.uk

QUEEN’S COLLEGE FOUNDATION

Queen’s College Foundation was established to support Queen’s College by raising funds for particular projects and for bursaries to help those pupils who would otherwise be unable to make the most of their talents.

We rely on the financial support of the whole community – Old Queenians, parents and grandparents of current and former pupils, members of staff, Governors and friends of the School. Indeed, we recognise the contribution that men and women from all walks of life with different links to the School can make.

Since the School was founded in 1843, it has been generously supported by many individuals and organisations. Our challenge is to maintain such support so that future generations can benefit from the first-class education that the School continues to offer.

The need for continued investment is crucial for Queen’s College’s long-term success and future. Unfortunately, Queen’s does not have large endowments and whilst we continue to fund much of our development from our own resources, school fees alone do not generate enough surplus to enable us to improve the School’s fabric and facilities or support individual pupils with bursaries as much as we would like.

The need to fundraise is therefore as important as ever; consequently we seek support from our wider community of OQs, parents and other friends by ways of donations, gifts and legacies. Projects we have supported in the past include floodlights for the new Astroturf, support for the Learning Development department, IT development and sports tours.

There are many different ways to support Queen’s College – please contact the Development Office if you have any enquiries. We accept both single, and regular donations, by cheque and standing order.

The Sibly Society

The Sibly Society is an organisation of members who either bequest a legacy to the School or make a donation of £1,000 or more to Queen’s College. Members of The Sibly Society are invited to select events such as the carol service, Speech Day and an annual lunch with the Head Teacher.

Patrons

To become a Patron of Queen’s College you can make a donation of £10,000 or more. If you have made a number of smaller donations over time these will be accumulated and recognised. On reaching £10,000 your name will be added to the Patron’s Board in the main entrance hall of the School.

Direct Debits via Just Giving

Click on the button here.

Raise funds for the foundation when you shop online

Help raise funds for the Queen’s College Foundation whenever you shop online.

Use easyfundraising.org.uk to shop with more than 3,600 top name retailers including Amazon, Argos and Sainsbury’s.

When you make a purchase, you’ll raise a donation for the Foundation, which provides bursaries to help those pupils who would otherwise be unable to make the most of their talents.

Help support us to support them by clicking here.

You can also raise money for the Foundation when you shop online with Amazon, simply visit Amazon Smile (it is a replica of the main site) and elect to support Queen’s College Taunton Foundation as your chosen charity. Click here.

LEGACIES

As someone who knows Queen’s College, we hope that you agree that the School offers its pupils an excellent academic education but also a good deal more. By remembering Queen’s College in your Will, you can help preserve this for others and extend the opportunity to talented pupils who could not otherwise afford a Queen’s College education and from whom Queen’s will benefit in return.

People make bequests for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they wish to fund the education of others less fortunate than themselves, or to maintain a particular building and grounds and enhance them for future generations. Making a bequest allows donors to do more than they might be able to do in their lifetime.

As Queen’s College is a registered charity, legacies to the school are free from inheritance tax and the gifts of shares and property are exempt from capital gains tax. A gift to Queen’s College will increase the threshold for inheritance tax on your estate by the full value of the gift and ensures that your money will go to a cause you support. Unless specified otherwise, we direct bequests to a specific project or use it to provide bursaries in the forthcoming years. However, please don’t forget to let us know your intentions as this can often encourage others to think along the same lines. Any pledge will remain confidential if you desire. If this is something you are considering, please contact Geoff Bisson in the Development Office for further support:  gb@queenscollege.org.uk

For our legacy giving form please click here

For further information regarding the gift of a legacy please click here

OTHER DONATIONS

Just Giving

Click here.

Shares

Gifts of shares, securities or other property benefit particularly well from Queen’s College’s charitable status. The value of a gift of shares to Queen’s can be increased considerably through tax relief. Please contact the Development Office if you would like to find out more about making a gift of shares.

Tax Refund Gifts

If you are a UK taxpayer who has to complete a Self Assessment form, you can use your tax return form to donate to Queen’s College all or part of any refund due to you. You can also choose to make your refund a Gift Aid donation.

Payroll Giving

As an alternative to a standing order, you can donate on a regular basis through payroll giving. This is a means of making a gift directly from your salary before income tax is deducted. As a result you will automatically get tax relief at your top rate of tax, with Queen’s College receiving the gross value. Please contact your employer’s own payroll department to find out whether they participate in this scheme.

Matching Gifts

Many employers offer matching gift schemes, whereby they double or even treble donations made by their employees – in other words a gift made to Queen’s College could be increased if an employer was able to contribute the same, or a greater amount. Please contact your employer’s personnel department to see if they operate a matching gift programme.

The Wyvern Wall 

We’re approaching the 100th plaque on the Wyvern Wall in our Dining Hall as part of the Foundation’s fund-raising efforts. The wall is open to all OQs, former and current staff members as well as Friends of Queen’s. All of the money raised goes towards the important work of the Queen’s College Foundation in improving the education we offer our children. You can sign up to have your name on the wall via our Just Giving account – simply click here.

Gift Aid 

If you are a UK taxpayer, the Inland Revenue Gift Aid scheme enables Queen’s College to reclaim 25p in tax for every £1 it receives in donations. There are no catches to this and it substantially increases the value of donations to the School. Donations at any level are eligible for Gift Aid. Higher-rate taxpayers can also claim an additional amount on their annual tax return. Single and regular donations of any sum are eligible, whether made by cash or cheque.

Anyone who has paid an amount of tax, at least equal to the tax that Queen’s College will reclaim in the tax year that the donation is made, can take part in the Gift Aid scheme. The tax you have paid can be income or capital gains tax at any rate. You can use Gift Aid if you are not a UK resident but you must make your gift out of income or capital gains charged to UK tax.

 

Alumni

OQ and Friends – News and Events

OQ and Friends – News and Events

The Development Office organises a number of events for OQs during the year which we would be delighted if you would like to attend.

These include events in London, dinners, informal get-togethers, Remembrance Weekend and anniversary reunions.

Please do encourage your friends from Queen’s to come along, put together a table, catch up and find out what is happening at Queen’s College.

Forthcoming events:

Saturday 13 November

6.30-8.30pm: Meet the Head, Julian Noad and his wife Jane, at Castle House.  Conversation with a glass of wine or a beer.

Sunday 14 November

9.15am: OQA AGM

10.00am: Service for OQs in OMR, followed by wreath ceremony on the front lawn

11.00am: Two hockey matches – Queen’s v OQs (OQs wishing to play should contact either Geoff Bisson gb@queenscollege.org.uk; Naomi Wilde wilde92n@gmail.com or Sam Wansborough sam@wansborough.com

12.45 Ceremony to rehang the All Black shirt worn by M.F. Nicholls in the 1925 international, which he swapped for the jersey of J.C.Gibbs (OQ). Until recently, this was on display in the Sports Hall.  From 1934, it had been in the pavilion.  However, a fire in 1961 damaged it.

13.00pm: Buffet lunch in the Dining hall for players and spectators, with the presentation of trophies to the winning teams by the Head.

Thursday 9 December

Vintage Lunch. OQs over 67 (each allowed a guest) are invited.  This comprises a welcome lunch, short speech by the Head, music and a tour of school.

Reunions

We are happy to support and help to organise reunions of OQs for whom 2022 will be anniversary of when your cohort left Queen’s.  Reunions can be held at Queen’s or elsewhere.

 

If you would like further information, please contact us at OQA@queenscollege.org.uk or 01823 340839.

OQ Newsletter

OQ Newsletter

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Queen's College Connected

Queen's College Connected

Queen’s College Connected has been created to engage our alumni and others previously involved with the school to connect with each other and ensure they remain connected to the Queen’s College community.
 
Queen’s College Connected will enable members of our community to connect with old friends, share news, volunteer, network, reminisce and find out about our upcoming events.
 
Additionally, to utilise our large OQ network, the website includes mentoring features and will enable OQs to share career experiences and advice with younger OQs.

Queen’s College Connected 

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