The Purchase and Funding of Chisholme House

This collectivity of support means that the School is owned by no-one and everyone...a very small amount, given regularly, makes a huge difference over time.

Appeals and Donations

The principle on which the funding of Chisholme is based is that as many people as possible should give small sums and so share the benefit of generosity.  This collectivity of support means that the School is owned by no-one and everyone. It has never been dependent on any single big donors or funding from any particular interest groups.

The Covenant plan

This was first established in 1980. It has been the most important means by which the house and outbuildings are being purchased.

Covenants usually take the form of a direct monthly payment. This works well for people who live in the UK.  For people who live abroad, it is often simpler to make cash donations, as bank charges for money transferred from abroad are high. Covenants vary according to a person’s means, but even a very small amount, given regularly, makes a huge difference over time. The Covenant income currently exceeds £40,000 annually including tax reclaimed.

Many covenants together form a very strong whole.

Details of the purchase of Chisholme House

Most of the woodland and pasture was initially sold to fund the purchase of the house, steading, cottages and immediate grounds: thus in effect the near-derelict property cost nothing. The opportunity arose, a few years later, to re-purchase the main bulk of the land, and this was again largely funded by a Covenant appeal.

In 1988, the mortgage was increased to £375,000 (the mortgage is now fully paid off), to pay for major and necessary improvements to the main house and student accommodation. The upgrading and maintenance of the buildings and estate is on-going, and this is made possible only by the continuous support of ex-students and friends, with gifts of money, useful items of furniture, tools, crockery and linen, and voluntary labour, freely given.