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This special bulletin in January contains two timely announcements. We are giving our supporters until the end of February to secure tickets for 13 June to hear Tom Holland give a fundraising lecture for Classics for All (after which we open up to the general public). And if you have not already done so, join our ranks by donating before 29 February to be included in our spring newsletter donor recognition list.
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In 2015 CfA continued its planned growth, awarding £150k in grants to schools and continuing to manage the ‘Capital Classics’ project (of which more in this e-newsletter). The number of schools we have supported now exceeds 350 (including the 50 schools involved with Capital Classics).
February is when our Grants advisory board reviews this year’s grant applications and we are pressing on to raise funds for this year’s grant pot. Our aim is to add a further 200 schools this year and we still need to raise £275k to fund this.
The climate remains challenging for schools, but the rewards from offering classical subjects are significant. A recent conversation with Kelmscott School's deputy headteacher and a maths teacher newly trained to teach Latin gave us some exciting insights into the value for pupils studying Latin in this Walthamstow comprehensive. It clearly provides a stimulating way to build critical analysis skills as well as reading comprehension, which in turn builds achievement in other subjects together with personal confidence and self-esteem.
As part of CfA’s strategic work our Grants adviser Hilary Hodgson has been developing Regional Classics hubs; these are areas with potential to become classics ‘hot spots’ similar to those already established in rural Norfolk and in Brighton and Hove. This is helping us reach more schools through local champions/mentors and so provide even better value for money from the grants we award in future years.
All of this fuels our efforts to make classics accessible to state school pupils. Your support is vital. Expanding our base of individual donors such as yourselves is crucial to our success in increasing the number of schools and pupils being introduced to classics in the coming year. And if you haven’t already done so please consider making your giving annual; this helps us plan ahead.
Many readers will know that CfA founders Peter Jones and Jeannie Cohen started their public support of classics by founding Friends of Classics in September 1991. Many Friends are also supporters of CfA. We are delighted that Peter and Jeannie are now inviting all of their members to join Classics for All as Centurions as they mark a magnificent 50th anniversary of their publication Ad Familiares to announce a union of the two charities.
Nicholas Barber CBE
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CfA’s Centurion drive is moving quickly apace as we added 75 new Centurions (giving £100 or more) during 2015. Can you help us add to that number this year? We will be publishing the 2016 donor recognition list in our spring 2016 newsletter. Stand up to be counted – as a Centurion giving £100+, a Praetorian giving £1,000 or any of the higher categories – by sending CfA your donation by 29 February (leap year giving you an extra day). We will consider all donations between 1 March 2015 and 29 February 2016 to count towards our donor recognition list. Just as a reminder, those higher categories are: Senators (£5,000+), Consuls (£10,000+), Heroes (£50,000+) and Olympians (£100,000+).
Classics for All is very pleased to present patron and distinguished author Tom Holland for our annual lecture on 13 June. For the first time we are offering tickets to all of our supporters before we open up to the general public. This is testing the waters for our future plans to thank donors in the category of Centurion and above by giving you priority booking to our events. And as ever we give you the opportunity to include a gift-aidable donation with your ticket purchase.
Jules Mann
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Our grant advisory panel is currently reviewing the applications that have come in from schools. We will announce our grants awards in the next issue. Meanwhile, Peter Olive reveals plenty of exciting developments from our London project 'Capital Classics'.
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Although our open grant round is now closed until September, schools are welcome to contact our Grants adviser Hilary Hodgson at Hilary@classicsforall.org.uk or ring 07557 648 150.
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We are thrilled to announce that our 2016 fundraising lecture will be delivered by Tom Holland on 'End of the Roman empire: a mirror for our times?' on Monday 13 June at the Royal Society’s Wellcome Trust Lecture Hall.
“As we all know from the Roman Empire,†said the Dutch Prime Minister late last year, “big empires go down if the borders are not well-protected.†As Western Europe faces the largest influx of people across its borders since Otto the Great’s defeat of the Magyars in 955, Tom Holland asks what light, if any, the so-called Age of Migrations can shed on today’s crisis. Are there parallels? What are the differences?
We are offering you, as a supporter of Classics for All, first chance at purchasing tickets. Please click here to purchase tickets. Tickets will be promoted to the general public after 1 March.
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Featured Classics Resource
Catharine Edwards, President of the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies:
"The Roman Society has for some years worked in partnership with Classics for All, promoting knowledge of, and enthusiasm for, Roman culture and Latin language in secondary schools. In particular, the Roman Society offers grants for the purchase of textbooks. Many schools, whose teachers have received training thanks to Classics for All, have been equipped with vital teaching materials by the Roman Society."
Find out more
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In memoriam
Classics for All has lost in Sir Jeremy Morse a cherished Patron, a man of few words and great wisdom, in whom one could place an absolute trust. Sir Jeremy, who also helped found and was a Patron of Friends of Classics, guided the formation of Classics for All through its early stages and with the active support of his wife Belinda championed us quietly and generously from the very beginning, hosting our launch event at the Athenaeum in 2011. His and Belinda's presence at and keen interest in the charity's events brought great pleasure to everyone.
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Sir Jeremy Morse 1928-2016
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“This Latin course is helping my education; for example in French we were learning about the infinitive and I was able to answer the question because of Latin study.†Pupil, Kelmscott School, Walthamstow
If you haven’t yet donated this year do please consider becoming a Centurion for less than £10 per month. Your money is being put to excellent use, and provides an ever stronger platform on which to recruit many more donors all the way from Centurions to Olympians.
It’s easy to make a secure donation online or post a cheque to Classics for All, 51 Achilles Road, London NW6 1DZ.
We will be publishing a recognition list acknowledging our donors in spring 2016, and would like nothing more than to name you among our supporters!
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About us
Trustees
Nicholas Barber CBE, Chairman; Christopher A Clarke, Hon Treasurer; Jeannie Cohen; Geoffrey de Jager; Carolyn Foreman; Professor Thomas Harrison; Deborah Hughes; Sarah Jackson OBE; Professor David Langslow
Adviser Dr Peter Jones
Executive Director Jules Mann
Grants Team Hilary Hodgson, Grants Adviser; James Murray
Patrons
Professor Mary Beard OBE; Lord Butler of Brockwell; Professor Paul Cartledge; Colin Dexter OBE; Lord Dyson, Master of the Rolls; Professor Pat Easterling; Michael Fallon MP; Lord Faulkner of Worcester; Tony Harrison; Natalie Haynes; Charlotte Higgins; Ian Hislop; Tom Holland; Bettany Hughes; Boris Johnson; Martha Kearney; Joanna Lumley OBE FRGS; Stuart Lyons CBE; Sir Jeremy Morse KCMG; Professor Christopher Pelling; Lord Stevenson of Coddenham; Sir Tom Stoppard CBE
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