Support and Donate
Heatherleys is controlled by The Thomas Heatherley Educational Trust (Charity no. 312872) which was set up in 1974 to provide benefit to the public by advancing education in the Fine Arts. As a registered educational charity, independent of the support of direct government funding or private sponsorship, we finance the academic provision of our courses by charging fees to our students.
Although our fees are competitive, every year there are many talented students (often the younger ones) who cannot afford them. We strive to give as many bursaries as possible, but there is so much more we can do to keep our doors open to anyone with the talent and drive to join us. If you are passionate about giving an excellent art education to talented artists in need of a bursary, please support us.
We promise to put your donation to work straight away and to keep you updated on the progress of our bursary students.
Please contact the school bursar if you wish to make a donation.
Impact of Donations
A relatively small amount of money, in the form of a bursary for a talented artist, can go a long way and even change lives in some cases. The impact of a donation is best described by the students’ own words, so we will add to this page more students stories on a regular basis. The first student to share with us how the Bursary Fund has allowed her to flourish as an artist is Bernadett Timko.
“I was at art school in Hungary for 4 years. At 17 I left home and when I turned 18 I decided to leave everything and make my own way. When I came to England, I was a nanny, and did all sorts of jobs to pay the rent. I didn’t do much art – sometimes I drew in the evening or on the train. I used to live in a warehouse with lots of parties and musicians, and one day this French guy who was on the painting diploma told me about Heatherley’s.
I wanted to get back to an art school environment. Modelling was really liberating – it helped me to be more confident. It feels so natural and part of the process.”
A scholarship student at the school inspired Berni to apply for the painting diploma. When she discovered that the school had a scholarship programme she decided to apply since without support for the fees, it would have been an impossibility. She assembled a portfolio in record time and was accepted onto the course.
“The school is really friendly, we just talk about the project we’re involved with, what other people are up to. Everybody knows everybody. Being in an art school, you have to be better than yourself. I compare myself to who I was yesterday. Not to somebody else. I know I’m completely different from somebody else. So why would I compare myself to someone else?”
Berni has completed the 2 year Portraiture Diploma and the Sculpture Diploma. In her short time at Heatherley’s she has already won prestigious prizes, including 2015 – Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award, First Prize; 2015 – Phillys Roberts Award ROI; 2016 – Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize Young Artist Award; 2017 Prince of Wales Prize for Portrait Drawing, Royal Society of Portrait Painters, and sold several works through the Mall Galleries and privately.
Feeling inspired by Bernadett’s story? If you want to help talented students like her, please support our Bursary Fund.
Trusts and Foundations
We appreciate every single gift, no matter how big or small. We seek to establish long-lasting relationships with each trust donor because we understand that behind any charitable grant there are individuals who share our passion and commitment to give fair and equal access to our courses.
As a valued supporter we will thank you for your support by:
- Providing you with regular updates and tailored progress reports;
- Inviting you to events, private views, talks and exhibitions;
- Inviting you to special events specifically designed for our closest supporters to meet with our senior staff, President, Patrons and Trustees.
Please feel free to contact Mary on 0207 351 4190 to discuss how we could work together to achieve our shared objective of supporting promising young artists who could not otherwise afford to attend the School.
Gifts in Wills Are an Opportunity to Support the Artists of Tomorrow
After you have generously provided for your loved ones, leaving a gift in your will to Heatherley’s is one of the most powerful ways in which you can support future generations of talented artists who cannot afford to pay the school fees.
As Heatherley’s is controlled by the Thomas Heatherley Educational Trust, a registered charity (reg. charity number 312872), any gift in your will is exempt from inheritance tax and may help to reduce the overall amount of tax that must be paid on your estate.
Also, tax reductions may benefit your primary beneficiaries too: by leaving 10% or more of your estate to charity, the inheritance tax payable on your net estate is reduced from 40% to 36%.
There are several types of legacies, depending on your needs and preferences. Please ask your solicitor for advice.
If you choose to remember Heatherleys in your will, thank you!
Please consider telling us about it. We will treat this information in the strictest confidence, and of course, you don’t have to tell us the amount, unless you wish to do so.
By informing us of your legacy, we can celebrate your generosity during your lifetime, we can thank you, ask how you may like to be recognised and invite you to join us for special events.
Should you wish to share with us that you have included, or plan to include, Heatherleys in your will, please fill this form or contact Mary Volk by calling 020 7351 4190.
Remembering Heatherleys in your will or contacting us does not constitute a legal obligation, and you can, of course, amend your will at any time. We recommend that you seek professional legal advice about tax reductions and types of legacies.
Corporate partnerships
At Heatherleys we aim to build imaginative, long-lasting relationships with corporate partners.
We invite you to work with us and discuss your CSR objectives. We can provide opportunities for your employees and stakeholders to become directly involved with our school community, be it team-building days for your employees, or through events, talks and other initiatives tailored to a company’s individual needs.
Recently we partnered with Worlds End Studios – a contemporary business centre in Lots Road. The Studios’ policy is to reach out to, and support, the local community, and they have chosen to sponsor a generous Cash Prize for our annual competition, for which we are very grateful.
Your support for our Bursary Programme which enables Heatherleys to offer assistance to promising young artists who could not otherwise afford to attend the School is – quite literally – life changing.
Do contact Mary on 020 7351 4190. We look forward to meeting you and exchanging ideas as to how we can help you achieve your CSR and community partnership goals.
The John Walton Heatherley Student Support Fund
This is an independent charitable body working with the Heatherley School Academic Board to provide direct financial aid to students already obtaining a full bursary but for whom this is insufficient to enable them to undertake a course of full-time study.
The John Walton Heatherley Student Support Fund HMRC charities reg EW02439
Patrons and Trustees
President
Nicola Hicks MBE
Patrons
Sir Christopher Howes KCVO CB
Lord Robin Janvrin GCB GCVO QSO PC
Lady Anya Sainsbury CBE
Chair
Christopher Penn
Trustees
Frances Christie
John Eagle
Nicolas Gage
Roy Leighton
Julian Murray
Murray Shanks
Richard Sharp