Harry Birrell

Preparing for the Future
Founded in 1997, the Harry Birrell Scholarship Trust has been supporting children, in Africa, to have a quality secondary education. Financial need and suitable aptitude are the criteria used.

Harry Birrell, an Oxford Blue in rugby and cricket, taught at St Andrew’s College Grahamstown, where he also had been both a student and housemaster. His great attribute was to inspire young people to make a success of their lives. It was for this quality that he became the inspiration for the trust.

Our first scholars were boys, whose education was liable to become interrupted due to lack of funds, often triggered by a family tragedy. We supported them by part paying their fees at St Andrew’s. Mila our first scholar went on to win an Anglo-American scholarship for Cape Town University and James, the current Harry Birrell Scholar, is most appreciative of the chances it has given him. Our recent projects concentrate on those who would not otherwise have a chance of a quality education.

In 2006 we sponsored a President’s Award Scheme for a week-end whereby the boys from St Andrew’s took the last year group from the Good Shepherd Primary School on a out door event. It was a great success and has been repeated yearly since. The Good Shepherd School caters for Xhosa speaking children, often from poor backgrounds, and teaches in English. It is part of St Andrew’s College’s “Outreach policy” to develop this relationship.

In 2008 Caleb and Abernethi from the Good Shepherd started at Graeme’s School and Victoria Girls High School. In 2009 Aviwe also started at the Diocesan School for Girls. It is our aim to have two pupils each year, from the Good Shepherd, enjoying quality education with ten children being paid for at any one time. To achieve this we will need to increase our income, both by attracting regular subscribers and generous donations.

Peter Phillips, our patron has given us a generous donation and targeted donations can be given for the Patron’s Fund. Please support us in our work which will help to produce young people contributing to the success of Africa.

An Outdoor Weekend event

Our first Good Shepherd Scholars

“Something good can come to ordinary people”

These were Caleb’s words on receiving news of his scholarship, Please help us to continue to provide “Something good”

Structure
The charity is a company limited by guarantee, number 3319229. The registered charity number is 1061330. The regular subscription income goes to support the grants together with any investment income. Sufficient capital has been built up to support current commitments (five years is the time spent in secondary school). Our patron is Peter Phillips. The trustees are Stephen Sparrow (chairman), Elizabeth Currie, Andrew La Trobe, Adrian Birrell, Kirstie Heslop and Roger Sparrow (company secretary). The scholarship panel, all education specialists, are based in South Africa and all work done for the charity, including visits to South Africa, is voluntary and not paid.