An update on the Campaign from our Director of Development, Jo Ballantine

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see smiles on the faces of everyone who steps inside the building.”

We’re thrilled to see the first students and members of the community beginning to use the ek robotics Sports Campus building, and are very much looking forward to having the opportunity to show you around. It’s incredibly rewarding for everyone involved in the long five years it has taken to bring the facility to life, to see smiles on the faces of everyone who steps inside the building. Thank you, once again, for playing your part and making those smiles, and the positive energy they bring, possible. 

Slightly frustratingly, things are taking a little longer than we expected, due to further delays over the summer with the installation of audiovisual equipment (due to the supply delays caused by the global microchip shortage) and the supply of some of the items of gym equipment. Building signage is continuing to be installed both internally and externally, and the landscaping and installation of our long awaited brick inscriptions are due to begin imminently. In the meantime, we’ll gradually be able to increase the number of lessons taking place in the building, and get as many people through the gym induction programme as quickly as is practically possible.

This term will be spent working with ek robotics and our other sponsors on plans for a floodlit opening ceremony and a brick unveiling event in late November – important occasions and an opportunity for our students to get involved in helping us to thank our hundreds of supporters and volunteers. In addition, we’ll be reporting back to all of the charitable trusts and foundations who have given grants to the ek robotics Sports Campus, to set out how we will report on the impact of their contribution in the year ahead. We’ll also be producing an analysis of where the ek robotics Sports Campus income came from, and will make that analysis available to our stakeholders.

We have a very exciting guest speaker lined up to deliver the inaugural Lillingstone Sports Science Lecture in November – more on this soon! The rest of our Sports Science Outreach programme is also getting underway this term, with training sessions for primary school teachers taking place and plans for further lectures and primary school sports fairs throughout the year. 

We very much hope to be able to hold a networking event for our corporate supporters, parents and alumni before the end of the year so that we can make some introductions and build on the successful partnerships we have formed. We will also be beginning the in depth process of researching and assessing feasibility for the final phase of the 600 Campaign – the proposed Arts Centre campaign, likely to launch in several years time – and making plans for our all-important 600th anniversary year in 2023.

As ever, the door to the Development office is always open! Please do feel free to get in touch with me anytime if you have any questions about any of the above, or about our fundraising and alumni relations work in general. In the meantime, our sincere thanks for your ongoing interest and support, and we look forward to updating you again soon.

Jo Ballantine

Director of Development

jballantine@royallatin.org