The Development Department was established at the end 2019, with the aim to raise funds for the Inn, especially for scholarships and heritage in the form of maintenance and conservation. After raising sponsorship for the Century of Women in the Law Gala we focused on the installation of a new database, Salesforce, which would work with the new donation pages on the website and claim Gift Aid for the Inn. There are many ways to support the Inn, including the 2022 Women in Law celebrations, Emergency Assistance Fund and Scholarship Funds, heritage and rare books.
To donate please go online at https://middletemplecharity.org.uk
The focus last year was the pandemic and, in response to this, the Middle Temple Development Department launched the Emergency Assistance Fund in the anticipation that students and pupils would face financial hardship as a result of lockdowns and closure of businesses.
Members responded immediately to the call for action and raised over £205,000 in total. The belief that the fund would be required was correct and shortly after opening to application, the requests for support started. At time of print, the Emergency Assistance Fund has awarded grants totalling £115,200 and we expect further requests as the pandemic eases.
We received many letters of gratitude from the EAF recipients including these words of thanks below:
Thank you ever so much. I am speechless at the moment and I must admit somewhat emotional. The grant will take away so much stress and upset going forward, allowing me to focus on my Bar training. I am so grateful and appreciative.
Scholarship Gifts
In January 2020, Master Pat Edwards, a long-standing supporter of Middle Temple, sadly passed away. She was respected and loved by all in the Inn but especially by the students she mentored. Master Edwards’ last wishes were to support more students and she left the Inn a very significant bequest of £3 million, divided between the Sir Paul Jenkins and Middle Temple Scholarship Funds. She wanted to ensure that students from non-traditional backgrounds were offered the opportunity to study for a career in the law. Her legacy will help achieve this goal. The Inn will be erecting a memorial in recognition of her generosity and lasting gift.
Master Anita James informed the Inn of a bequest from her father, Sir Lancelot Scarth, in the form of a gift of nearly £30,000 to benefit the Scholarship Funds.
The Middle Temple Trust Funds distributed £1.1 million in scholarships to 124 outstanding candidates and, for the first time, the Sir Paul Jenkins Fund awarded fully funded scholarships as per his last wishes.
On being informed of their award one of our students wrote to say:
I am beyond delighted to receive this news. Without this scholarship I would not have been able to progress to this next stage in my journey to the Bar. Thank you.
One of the larger projects was to build an online shop and we launched this in the summer. Selling a wonderful range of Middle Temple gifts, as well as staple favourites, we have introduced a Christmas decoration range and limited-edition Halcyon Days cufflinks, with more lines to be introduced for Christmas 2021.
All sales from the shop directly support the Emergency Assistance Fund and Scholarship Funds.
To browse our range please visit www.middletempleshop.org.uk.
If you have any suggestions for items you would like to buy please email merchandise@middletemple.org.uk.
Looking to the future, the Inn has applied to the Charity Commission to create a Middle Temple charity. The focus of this charity will be funding education through scholarships, the Emergency Assistance Fund continuing to support students and pupils plus support of our heritage, including the upkeep of the historic collections and buildings of Middle Temple.
The Development Department will be responsible for raising funds towards the work of the charity.
Fiona Healey-Hutchinson joined the Development Department as Associate Director of Development in September 2019, having worked as Director of Fundraising and Communications at many large organisations including Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, St John Ambulance, KEVII and Canine Partners. She is a member of the Charted Institute of Fundraising.
