Ed Benbow, Headmaster, Hazlegrove School
The challenge
When I joined Hazlegrove as Headmaster in 2022, one of the significant challenges facing the school was the condition of our astroturf hockey pitch. After 23 years of use, it was reaching the end of its life. There was increasing pressure from staff and parents to replace it, and we were becoming concerned about the potential health and safety implications of continuing to use the facility.
We put the project out to tender, but the quotes we received were considerably higher than anticipated. The cost was beyond the funding available to the school, and we faced a difficult question: how could we deliver such an important project without placing undue pressure on our finances?
Fundraising was the obvious answer, but as a school we had not undertaken a major fundraising campaign since the original pitch had been installed many years earlier. It was a new challenge for me personally, as this was my first experience of leading a significant fundraising initiative as a Head.
Finding the right fundraising support
I was already familiar with RSAcademics. They had supported my own appointment as Headmaster, and the school had also worked with them on a parent survey. Given those positive experiences, they were the natural choice when we needed expert support.
From the outset, working with RSAcademics was excellent. The Senior Consultant leading the project was outstanding throughout. She was calm, organised, knowledgeable and completely unflappable, even when navigating some challenging conversations. One of the biggest benefits was the way she quickly built trust and rapport with our parent community. She took a great deal of pressure off me by acting as a trusted intermediary, helping parents feel listened to and understood.
When parents wanted to discuss the project directly with me, the Senior Consultant joined those meetings. Her presence made conversations much easier and more relaxed. She had an impressive ability to absorb information quickly, understand the concerns being raised, and guide discussions constructively. Very quickly, she earned both the trust and respect of our parent body.
From planning to a successful campaign
I was also struck by the pace at which the project progressed. All of the targeted preparatory work with key stakeholders was completed during the winter and spring terms, giving us a clear picture of the fundraising potential. As a result, we were able to give the contractor the go-ahead with confidence that we would achieve the fundraising target.
The public fundraising campaign launched in March and was supported by a range of school activities, including a colour run and fundraising initiatives at our summer fête. The campaign gathered real momentum, and the response from the school community was fantastic.
A first-class facility for the future
Today, the project is complete, and the new pitch is in place. We were delighted to open it on the first day of term, providing our pupils with a first-class facility that will serve the school for many years to come.
Looking back, I could not be happier with the outcome. The project achieved exactly what we set out to do, and RSAcademics played a crucial role in making that possible.
For any school considering working with RSAcademics, my advice would be simple: do it. I came into this project with no prior experience of leading a major fundraising campaign, but I had complete confidence in the RSAcademics team based on my previous experiences with them and through the conferences and events I had attended. They are a highly professional organisation, full of smart, experienced and personable people who genuinely make life easier for school leaders. Their expertise, efficiency and ability to build strong relationships were invaluable, and I would not hesitate to recommend them.