The Falcon Foundation

DONATIONS

To make a donation, please follow one of the following links:

NOTE: Funds raised go directly to the Falcon College Overseas Trust, which has been responsible for several large fundraising projects in recent years. The Trust is registered with the UK Charities Commission, Charity No: 294169.

MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER

Falcon College is a boarding school in Esigodini, Zimbabwe – situated 60km from Bulawayo on the Beit Bridge road.

The College is located on 5000 hectares of pristine Matabeleland bush. There is a strong Christian ethos based on the good, old-fashioned values of impeccable manners, pride in one’s dress and a neat and tidy personal living space. There is an inherent respect for our elders and those in positions of authority.

The school is dynamically embarking on modern teaching and coaching techniques, with electronic media being used in every classroom equipped with Wi-Fi. We provide a diverse curriculum, which takes cognisance of the way the world is evolving. We appreciate that we are teaching for some jobs that have not been invented as yet!

Falcon offers the Cambridge examinations at Checkpoint, IGCSE, AS and A level. We also offer some HEXCO and City and Guilds subjects.

We strive to take special heed of the needs of individuals. Our extravagant class sizes of never more than 30 students down to some classes as small as 3 students, enable individual attention for those with special needs without “labeling” them in any way.

The greatest strength at Falcon College is that the students grow up in a dormitory situation where they are encouraged to work together. They start off as a diverse group and leave as a united family. They set goals, participate and grow in both work and play.

The sport at Falcon College can be described as legendary – over the years we have produced outstanding teams in numerous sports including basketball, cricket, water polo, hockey, rugby and soccer. We boast top squash players, golfers, mountain bikers, and polocrosse players. Our students have excelled in music, drama and cultural activities. More recently our contribution to serving our local community has been immense. All students are required, through our all encompassing ASTRA programme, to contribute to service in some way.

The Falcon Foundation is an extension of this vision, conceived in order to grow the College’s resilience and support its ability to undertake projects of special interest.

A SCHOOL IN CONTEXT

“Falcon College is a school built on a hole in the ground.”

A famous Headmaster of the College, Dougal Turner, once said this – and it is the simple truth.

The College is a senior boys’ boarding school that was created on the site of the old Bushtick Mine near the village of Esigodini in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe. The Bushtick Mine had briefly been the largest goldmine in the colony of Southern Rhodesia. It had thrived in the period 1932 to 1947, peaking in 1938. In the context of the time, the mine had then exceeded its viability and finally shut down in 1951. In 1954, Falcon College opened its gates and began life on the old mine property and infrastructure. Homes that had housed miners and their families would now house

teaching staff and boarding school boys. Mine offices would become administration offices and classrooms. Mine facilities such as tennis courts and a swimming pool would become school facilities.

Since that time, the school has flourished to become one of Zimbabwe’s leading education establishments. The Esigodini area lies about 40 km south-east of Bulawayo in the Matabeleland South province of Zimbabwe. The area is known locally as the Esigodini Valley. The area is bounded by two river systems – the Ncema in the North and the Mzingwane in the South. The district is shaped like a large bowl measuring about 30 km north to south and 20 km west to east. The Northern portion is dotted with numerous small kopjes. The Western “boundary” is a hill range known locally as the “Blue Hills” – so named because of the colours and hues that paint the hills in the early morning and late evening.

THE SCHOOL MOTTO

The school motto comes from the words of Publius Vergilius Maro (70-19BC), a classical Roman poet who wrote:

“nova virtute, puer; sic itur ad astra”

which translates:

Look to your new-found courage, young man, for that is the way to the stars.

The College runs on a hierarchical system – which we are sure leads to well-rounded young people, who have respect for the system while maintaining originality and individualism. Loyalty to the College and to each other continues to be a strong bond wherever these young people end up.

THE GOVERNING BODY

The College is governed according to its Trust Deed, (which was created in February 1953), and in accordance with the laws of Zimbabwe.

The Falcon College Board of Governors currently has 16 members, who collectively bring wide ranging experience to its deliberations:

• 6 – are Old Boys of Falcon
• 10 – have had sons go through the College
• 4 – currently have sons in the College
• 2 – are lawyers
• 1 – is an engineer
• 4 – are commercial farmers
• 1 – is a chartered accountant

Board Members give huge amounts of time to the College. They do this for no reward, not even reimbursement of expenses. They receive no monetary payments from the College whatsoever.

The Board is self-perpetuating, in that suitable persons are invited to participate. There is no limit to tenure, except in the case of Chairman, who resigns at the end of each year and may or may not offer himself for re-election.

The Board’s role is fundamentally to formulate policy. The Board distances itself from day to day running of the College, which is left in the hands of the Headmaster, who naturally has far more experience in such maters than do members of the Board.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

What is the Falcon Foundation?

The Falcon Foundation is set up under the auspices of the Falcon College Board to co-ordinate fundraising for the school. It has its own Board, Governance, bank accounts and legal structures around the world to facilitate this function.

What is the Falcon Foundation Endowment Fund?

The Falcon Foundation Endowment Fund consists of accumulated money from donors that is administrated and invested under professional management. A portion of the income of the Fund (interest, dividends and capital gains) is used to give financial support for projects at Falcon College. Any income in excess of distribution to the College is retained in the Endowment Fund so that it can grow and support future generations.

Why Donate?

This is best summed up by Grant Pattison, one of the Trustees of the Falcon Foundation.

“I am grateful for the opportunities I had and, most of all, the role that the teachers and staff played in my development. I want them to be looked after in retirement. I want the school to be looked after. I want to make a difference.”

How much is the Foundation trying to raise?

We are aiming to raise in excess of US$1m. Naturally, we understand that every individual’s financial circumstances are unique and private, but also believe that if each Falcon Old Boy or Falcon Old Girl could try to donate at least US$1000 over the period of their working careers, this would go a long way to raising the US$1m we need to raise, possibly even more.

What will the funds be spent on?

The funds will be spent as directed by the Board of the Foundation, who will consult the donors and the school. For example, the school is currently asking for help to support the retired staff, but, over time, the funds may also be used for capital projects. There is space on the donations form to communicate your preference for fund-use.

To make a donation, please follow one of the following links:

NOTE: Funds raised go directly to the Falcon College Overseas Trust, which has been responsible for several large fundraising projects in recent years. The Trust is registered with the UK Charities Commission, Charity No: 294169.