Generosity at the heart of St Andrew's

2007–2024

Over the last 17 years, $21 million has been gifted to St Andrew’s College through donations to the Foundation or specific fundraising campaigns for College facilities.

Cultivating a culture of philanthropy and giving is an essential part of the mission of an independent school, both to generate a sustainable business model into the future, and to ensure the values of diversity and inclusion are evident within the school community. Indeed, the Founder of our College, Rev. A Thompson travelled tirelessly through the Canterbury region trying to raise essential funds for the formation of St Andrew’s College in the 1910s, generating a bequest from a donor which enabled the purchase of our Strowan House and grounds in 1917.

Since that early beginning, many supporters of St Andrew’s College: parents, Old Collegians, students, and community members, have continued to support the College to ensure its future success. In September 1991, the St Andrew’s College Foundation was established to support the College’s future growth. In gifting to the Foundation, donors protect and grow this fund, at the same time providing some financial assistance to College operations by way of scholarship support for students.

Generous Benefactors

I have known many students who have benefited from the generosity of donors to the College Foundation. These students have come to recognise what opportunities they have enjoyed as a result and many years later continue to speak of their gratitude. This year, St Andrew’s can celebrate 11 George Hight Scholars (seven of whom have graduated from St Andrew’s) who, through the generosity of George and Marilyn Hight, have enjoyed a full tuition scholarship for their five years in the Secondary School. Today their legacy lives on in perpetuity, as a new scholar is selected each year. This year, a further magnificent bequest of $6.5 million from George Hight, has grown the St Andrew’s College Foundation to a total of $21.6 million.

A number of other generous donors have also set up a scholarship in their own name.

The rebuild of our campus since 2008 has similarly been supported by other donors including the Spiro Science and Mathematics Centre, Alistair Sidey Mountain Lodge at Kura Tawhiti Castle Hill, The Green Library and Innovation Centre, the Turley Bridge, The Stewart Junior Centre, Ngā Toi Performing Arts Centre featuring the Gough Family Theatre, the Fife Foundation Dance and Drama Studios, the John Westgarth Family AV Room, Old Collegians’ Foyer, and the PTA Green Room. There were also several major gifts to the Centennial Chapel of $20,000–$500,000 – a special place which speaks to the heart of our College. These gifts plus the sale of 429 ‘bricks’ brought a total of over $3 million donated to the Chapel campaign.

I feel immensely grateful and proud of our St Andrew’s community who have contributed so much to the success of our school which sees us in a strong position to support the education of tomorrow’s students.

More details about gifting at St Andrew’s can be found in the 2023 Philanthropy Report.

Christine Leighton

Rector