MONEY For the A
little known fund, the Alexander Duckham Education Trust, is established to promote
Children
With every application received considered on its own merits, even if it is for assistance with something not listed.
the education and welfare of RAF children who are in financial need. Kate Kirkland explains.
The definition of ‘RAF children’ includes adults with a parent who has served in the RAF or RAF Reserve, step and adopted children of RAF personnel or children for whom a member, or former member, of the RAF takes financial responsibility.
The Trust makes means-tested grants for assistance with the costs of: • school fees, where the needs of the child cannot be fulfilled in the state system, for example because of the child’s physical or mental health or the child’s particular sporting or artistic talents
• lessons for children with particular sporting or artistic talents
• lessons or treatment for children with physical or learning disabilities who would benefit from more support than the state provides
• school uniform, books, school trips, musical instruments, sports or other equipment tertiary education, eg. university, college, drama schools, etc • daycare and pre-school education.
The Trust is named after Alexander Duckham, who founded Duckham’s Motor Oils in 1899. As well as being a successful businessman, Alexander Duckham was an early aviation pioneer and close friend of cross-channel aviator Louis Bleriot. Indeed, it was Duckham who paid for the stone memorial in Dover that marks the spot where Bleriot landed after his famous flight.
Duckham generously donated his home, Vanbrugh Castle, to the RAF Benevolent Fund for use as a school for boys whose fathers had been killed in the First World War. Vanbrugh Castle was later sold after the number of pupils declined but the funds raised continued to be used to educate RAF children in need at the Duke of Kent School in Ewhurst Surrey.
Following advice from the Charity Commission, the funds were transferred to a new trust, the Alexander Duckham Memorial Schools Trust, established by a Charity Commission Scheme in September 1997. The Scheme was amended in February 2010 after it became obvious to the Trustees that there was no realistic prospect of a significant number of RAF children in need being educated at the Duke of Kent School in years to come.
The Scheme no longer requires the Trust to maintain a boarding school for RAF children in need but permits it to promote the education and welfare of RAF children in need.
The Trust and the Duke of Kent School now operate entirely independently of each other, with the Trust leasing the land and buildings at Ewhurst to the School.
The Grants Committee meets quarterly and awards grants to assist with the education and welfare of children of members, or former members, of the RAF who are in need of financial help. Most grants are in the region of £1,000.
Examples of grants awarded by the Trust: • £1,200 for riding lessons • £1,500 for university costs (3 awards) • £2,200 to facilitate the taking up of a US Sports Scholarship
• £2,500 for swimming coaching and competition fees
• £3,000 for Drama School costs • £1,350 for school fees.
The Trust welcomes applications. For information on how to apply see www.
admst.org.uk or email
admin@admst.org. uk
www.raf-ff.org.uk Envoy Summer 2014 33
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