What the investment trust means to you
Alan Fourie
Chairman
St Charles College
Investment Trust
Trust Registration and Administration
The St Charles College Trust (SCC Trust) was established with an initial contribution of R15 000 in 1980. The objectives of the Trust are primarily to establish Bursaries and Scholarships, and to provide facilities for education, sport and recreation in any manner whatsoever.
Donors may contribute funds to the Trust for specific purposes, or for general use at the discretion of the Trustees. Contributions to the Trust do qualify for Income Tax relief for Donors in terms of Section 18A of the Income Tax Act.
Funds granted for specific Awards are accounted for separately and participate in the investment returns of the Trust as appropriate.
The capital amounts required in order to fund meaningful bursaries and scholarships are immense. Accordingly, the Trustees remain focussed on growing the capital amount of the Trust while increasingly providing other support in accordance with the Trust’s primary objectives.
The Trust is administered by the Trustees who are appointed by the Board of Governors.
College imperatives
Keeping St Charles College (SCC) as the most affordable Independent School for boys in Southern Africa.
Ensuring the affordability of SCC fees to as many members of the population as possible is an extremely important factor in maintaining the non-elitist culture in which the College takes pride, and which is critical in preparing its scholars for the challenges they will face later in life.
The maintenance of the very competitive fee structure is a consequence of exceptional cost management, the creation of supplementary income streams, and the extensive use of technology in order to achieve optimum efficiencies. It is expected that the SCC Trust will be making a steadily increasing contribution towards the achievement of this objective.
- Building on the exceptional results achieved by SCC pupils in the Cambridge International Examinations over the past two decades, St Charles is clearly at the forefront of Independent Schools when it comes to Academic standards and performance. St Charles is determined to maintain these standards.
- Alongside academics, ensuring a well-rounded education, SCC is also a leader in competitive sport as well as displaying considerable cultural excellence.
Building with the future in mind
St Charles College has a rich 150-year history and, to ensure future sustainability, has identified external pressures and challenges which have to be pro-actively addressed. By 2030, SCC intends to have achieved level five independence which essentially comprises:
1. Sustainable Bursary/Scholarship Awards
Reaching a point where the Trust has the capacity to fully fund all scholarships and bursaries. The Trust needs to achieve a capital base of R150 million for this to become a reality.
2. Zero cost to parents for Sport and Cultural tours where selection is on merit
The changing landscape within which SCC competes is giving rise to an increased need to tour to events in which the College will participate. The costs associated with such tours are often beyond the affordability of many pupils, and the intention is to establish further revenue-generating projects to assist in this regard. It is expected that a fund within the SCC Trust will help this initiative to become a reality.
3. Net positive energy producer
This project is in an advanced planning stage, in conjunction with the energy needs of the Xhawula AquaPark, which is currently under construction on the SCC estate. This ambitious project requires considerable investment but is expected to generate more than acceptable financial and environmental benefits.
4. Water security
The harvesting of rainwater, the cautious management of water resources, and the use of alternate sources of water will enable the College to minimize its dependence on government structures for its water requirements. This does of necessity entail sophisticated technology and a considerable amount of investment over a period of time.
5. Net zero waste generation
While this project will require some investment, it primarily entails a thorough analysis of all waste-generating activities and implementing behavioural and technological changes required to achieve net zero waste generation.
How the money is used
Trust monies support the following bursary and scholarship awards:
The Old Boys Heritage Award
The motivation behind this Award is that many of our Old Boys want to directly impact the lives of current and future boys.
As custodians of the College, they take it on as their honour and responsibility to defend the College, and make sure that it remains financially in reach of the families who have made a generational investment in sending their sons to the College. Their commitment is to make a positive and profound difference in the course of the life of each boy who is educated at this incredible school.
Knowing that lives have been turned around by attendance at St Charles College, the intention of this award is to allow the school to keep on with this important work. The College and the Old Boys is a partnership which will imagine the way to the future together.
The Champagnat Award for Excellence
If you are strongly committed to Sport, Music or Academic achievement at the highest level, you will be aware that extraordinarily talented boys can make a significant difference to driving aspirations of excellence. The Champagnat Award may be presented to boys who demonstrate, from a young age, the work ethic, talent and values required to consistently achieve excellence in at least one of the following areas:
Sport
The award is intended to secure talented sportsmen. Applicants will be expected to consistently demonstrate their composure under pressure and contribute through effort and skill to the success of the College’s top sports teams.
Music
Boys who demonstrate excellence in music through a mix of talent, hard work, and achievement in formal music examinations (minimum Grade 4) may be considered for this award.
Academics
Boys who achieve excellent results in the formal Academic Scholarship examinations may be considered for this award. The College seeks to recognise the ability and achievement of boys who excel in both English and Mathematics.
The Fideli Certa Merces Award
Scholarships are awarded each year to outstanding, talented boys from around the world. But to strengthen the College in the Senior School, we first recognise the boys and families who have been invested in the College from their earliest school days, attending our Pre-Primary, Junior Primary and Senior Primary Schools.
The Fideli Certa Merces Award allows boys who have demonstrated talent and values consistent with St Charles College’s ideals, to continue their studies from the Senior Primary School to the Senior School.
The Jolivet Legacy Award for Honour
This bursary or scholarship is offered to make it possible for boys, who ordinarily would not have access to a rigorous independent school education, to attend St Charles College. Recipients of the Jolivet Legacy Award will be offered the opportunity of a world-class education, with the hope that this will enable each recipient to use this opportunity to make a difference to their life, and the lives of their family and community.
A Pledge of Honour is taken by all those who receive a Jolivet Legacy Award that, should they be able, at some point in the future, to sponsor a boy in a similar position to themselves to attend St Charles College (or a similar school with high academic standards), and invest in changing the life of that boy and his family forever, they shall strive to do so.
The privilege of receiving this award comes with the responsibility to act as an ambassador of the values we defend, and a commitment to set an example that others can follow.
Capital Investment
Since the Trust’s inception, the St Charles Board has made some very rewarding investments which have enabled the College to significantly improve and expand its facilities. At the same time, the Trust has been used primarily to develop a significant portfolio of liquid assets to support the College as appropriate. It is expected that these initiatives will increasingly overlap in the years ahead and that the Trust may play an increasingly important role in the funding of further improvements on the campus.
Meet the Trustees
Alan Fourie
(SCC Trust Chairman and Old Boy)
Peter Mortimer
(Chairman of the Board of Governors and Old Boy)
Andrew Dickason
(Secretary of the Trust and Old Boy)
Allen van Blerk
(College Principal)