Investing in Our Community (MHSG Bursary Fund)
Manchester High bursaries are one of the secret ingredients to the success of our school.
The aspirational atmosphere at MHSG relies on a continued investment in talented girls from across the region. Bursaries, provided on academic merit and a means-tested basis, play a central role in making Manchester High the vibrant place it is today.
"Being surrounded by incredibly talented girls on a daily basis, inspired me to give my all to everything I do." - Noor Al-Saffar, Medical Student, MHSG Bursary Recipient, Class of 2020.
The positive impact of a bursary ripples throughout the whole school, driving academic achievement and ensuring our community remains socially and culturally inclusive. Our school thrives on this diversity. Yet today, we are missing out on many talented individuals joining our community.
Currently, we can only take on 5% of the bursary applications we receive.
A legacy of impact
In 1874, the first academic school for girls in the North of England was formed, giving some of the region’s brightest minds the chance for a better future.
150 years on, Manchester High has a proud legacy of alumnae who have gone on to change society for the better.
Founded by the people of Manchester – men and women who were leading figures in the academic, cultural and business life of the city – at a time when many regarded the education of girls as unnecessary or undesirable.
Yet our founders knew that society as a whole would be better for this investment.
"Our founders were pioneering, forward thinking, and revolutionary in wanting a school that would provide for girls the education which had been given to boys in the area." - Mrs Helen F Jeys, Head Mistress.
Our founders’ aims were to ‘impart to the girls the very best education which can be given, and to fit them for any future which may be before them.’
This remains our guiding spirit today.
Manchester High School for Girls began to introduce bursaries less than twenty years after we were founded, and today, when the education of many of the most disadvantaged children is suffering, we are proud that so many of our parents and supporters still believe in giving our region’s brightest girls a better opportunity, regardless of their financial circumstances.
"Investing in a bursary is investing in future leaders. It’s transformative." - Mrs Helen F Jeys, Head Mistress.
Until 1997, many girls whose families were not in a position to pay fees, were eligible to receive government help, either through a Direct Grant, or through the Assisted Places Scheme.
Yet, since then, the role of protecting bursary places has fallen on the School, and the level of support we are currently able to provide has inevitably dropped from the era of assisted places.
We have only been able to fund 5% of applications for funding from Year Seven over the last three years.
Only around 9% of our Senior school student population have been in receipt of means-tested bursaries during the same period. Our talented bursary students come from a wide range of backgrounds – areas of deprivation across the north west, from conflict zones around the world and from single-parent and multi-generational families.
All they need is a chance. By backing the bursary fund, you’ll provide it.
Can you help us invest in the social diversity of our school community?
A virtuous circle of investment
By investing in the girls of today, you are also helping to create the donors of the future, continuing the legacy of impact at Manchester High School for Girls.
Our alumnae remain a close part of our school family, and often lead the way in giving back through our bursary scheme.
We believe that all of Manchester’s bright girls deserve this opportunity, regardless of their circumstances.
"One of my motivations to work hard is that one day I want to be able to give back, and support future girls in the way that someone once supported me." - Lucie Hinton, Head of Aviation Business Development, Manchester Airports Group, MHSG Bursary Recipient, Class of 2010.
If you agree, please consider investing in a student bursary today. You can support a Manchester High student for two years (from Sixth Form), or for seven years (from Year Seven).
Covering the costs of uniforms and school trips, transport and lunches alongside fees, these bursaries transform lives – giving a Manchester High student the prospect of embracing every opportunity here.
Provide a life changing MHSG education to a Year 7 student
Donations of £14,662 each year (with Gift Aid added on) will provide one year of full bursary funding for one student.
Sixth Form Student Bursary
Support a Manchester High student for two years to study at our outstanding Sixth Form Centre and take advantage of expert teaching in small groups, dedicated careers and higher education advice.
How you can help
A gift from you, no matter the size, would help us extend the opportunity of a Manchester High education to as many bright and deserving girls as possible, and continue to invest in the talented, ambitious atmosphere of which we are so proud.
In our 150th year, we are aiming to raise £750,000 to provide five future Manchester High School students with transformative bursaries. This investment would support each student for seven years of study, covering the costs of tuition, transport, lunches, extracurricular activities and uniform.
We are only able to support 5% of all applications for funding, with an average fee remission of 82%.
"We feel passionately about our vision of being needs blind. We would love to offer more girls the opportunity to come to Manchester High, who are bright enough, but who don’t have the financial means to do so." - Mrs Helen F Jeys, Head Mistress.
We know our bursaries really make a difference to those who need them most, but we need to do more, with your help.
You can donate online with a single or regular donation to our Bursary Fund. Whether you choose to make a regular donation or a one-off gift, your contribution will make a huge difference.
If you are considering making a major gift or corporate donation, please contact the Development Team.
Bursaries are funded by a partnership between the School, our donors and the MHSG General Charitable Trust – The Bursary Fund (registered charity number 506823).
To make a difference today, visit the link below:
Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct bank transfer, donate from overseas or discuss other ways of supporting us, please contact the Development Team on 0161 224 0447 or email [email protected].
Regular giving
Regular donations help us to plan for the future and secure funding for students throughout their time at the school.
Our Bursary Fund honours the intentions of MHSG’s founders’, to enrol the brightest students, regardless of their financial circumstances, and moves us closer to realising the vision of the School to become needs blind.
It is easy to set up a regular donation via the link below, with your monthly donations building up over time. Any contribution is welcome and makes a huge difference.
The 1874 Society
On our 150th birthday we are setting up a new 1874 Society to invite members of our community to commit to regular monthly donations to help support bursary students at MHSG.
Those committing to an annual sum of £1,874 (£1,500 + gift aid) or more, will be recognised through our 1874 Society, named after the year we were founded.
Members will be invited back to school for special events and receive an annual update about the impact of your support.
"It is our duty to make the world a better place for women." - Christabel Pankhurst, Class of 1897.
As a member you will also receive a special ivy badge to commemorate your membership of the Society.
You will also be invited to add your name (if you wish) to a special new donor wall next to the Main Hall, reflecting your kind, ongoing commitment to MHSG.
To join the 1874 Society, please set up a monthly donation of £125 at the link below, or an annual donation of £1,500, completing your gift aid declaration.
As a higher or additional rate tax payer, you can also claim back tax on your donation, so the actual cost of your donation could be less than £1,125 every year.
Help us empower more Manchester High students.
Regular donations (with Gift Aid) can make a huge difference and can quickly build, with contributions from other regular donors, and transform lives.
100 people donating £12 each month will fund one bursary each year.
100 people donating £24 each month will fund two bursaries each year.
100 people donating £49 each month will fund four bursaries each year.
Recognising your support
Major donors contributing over £20,000 during our 150th birthday year, can choose to be recognised on our new major donor wall in the Main Hall.
This provides the opportunity for high profile recognition of your individual or corporate commitment to MHSG.
Members of our 1874 Regular Giving Society can also choose to be recognised on a new donor wall next to the Main Hall.
Donors to the Outdoor Wellbeing Hub or Reflection Space can choose to be recognised on the donor wall in the student space they are supporting.
All donors contributing more than £200 during our 150th birthday year can choose to be recognised on our 150th birthday supporters wall.
Legacy gifts
Throughout Manchester High School’s 150-year journey, we have focused on creating a place where talented girls of any background can flourish.
Now, we need your help to secure this future for our region’s brightest girls. A gift in your will could help change a girl’s life. Legacy donations are a meaningful and enduring gift.
"The breadth of the education I experienced proved a lasting resource, opening career opportunities and underpinning the confidence needed to interact with colleagues. This is why I have decided to leave a gift in my will to MHSG, so girls in the future can enjoy the breadth of education provided at MHSG, just like I did." - Adrianne Jones, Member of the Ivy Leaf Society, Class of 1963.
All bequests, of any size, directly benefit future generations of Manchester High students.
We understand that not everyone can afford to give right now, and that when the time comes, loved ones must be your first priority. Once you have provided for them, even a small amount left in a will can make a profound difference to a future Manchester High student.
Establish your legacy today, and leave your positive stamp on the future.
If you would like to change your will to include the Manchester High Bursary Fund, or wish to make a will to include the School, please speak with your solicitor, and provide them with the Registered Charity Number for the MHSG Bursary Fund: 506823.
As a registered charity, any gift left in a will to the MHSG Bursary Fund would be exempt from inheritance tax.
Please visit our Investing in the Women of the Future (Legacy Giving) pages for more information.
