FUNDRAISING UPDATE

A stakeholder meeting at Healdtown in March 2009 was well attended, and the facilitated workshop included input by alumni, whom the HSRP considers an invaluable asset in achieving the aims of the project.

HSRP fundraising is slowly gathering momentum with some gains made during the period covered by this report. We are extremely grateful to all organisations and individuals for trusting that the HSRP will put their donations to good use for the benefit of disadvantaged young South Africans. To the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, the Ackerman Family Education Trust, St Stithian’s College, the Ubuntu-Botho Churches Trust and individual alumni and others who donate by way of a monthly stop order – we are tremendously grateful to all of you. While not falling into the financial year under review, we are pleased to report our funding partnership with the Amatola Trust, which has made a contribution to work with one Eastern Cape School and towards operational expenses for the 2010/2011 financial year.

Our biggest disappointment during 2009/2010 has been the refusal of the Department of Arts and Culture to consider extending their funding for the operational expenses of the Project. It seems that a combination of budget constraints and the Minister’s strong feeling that the work of the HSRP does not pertain to arts and culture – a view with which we disagree – is responsible for this decision.

Although the government – both national and provincial – has been supportive of the HSRP in many ways, the lack of commitment to hard funding is regrettable in light of the fact that this is a government-initiated and endorsed project. However, we continue to lobby various departments and levels of government and are hopeful that more funds will be forthcoming in future. We also continue to actively explore non-governmental avenues for the necessary support to make this project a success.