AGS Pitch In Giving Day

What is AGS Pitch In Giving Day?

Our AGS Pitch In Giving Day kicks off our Capital Campaign aiming to raise vital funds for an all-weather, multi-purpose Sports Pitch on our School site. It is a chance for our entire community – students, parents, Old Aylesburians, staff, governors and friends to come together, reflect on our shared experiences at AGS, and help to make a difference by supporting our first Capital Campaign in 7 years. 

 

How can I get involved?

- You can help us spread the word about our Giving Day online and amongst your peers and friends of the School. Share our emails, tag us on social media, please make as much noise about this exciting 36 hours as you possibly can.

- You can take part in a Giving Day challenge.

- You can make a gift and become a Giving Day donor. We would love our entire community to give if they can.

 

Why are we fundraising?

We need to raise £1 million to build an all-weather, multi-purpose sports pitch in the centre of the School.

- We are one of the only Schools in the area not to have an all-weather pitch on our School site.

- Our existing sports facilities are simply not adequate for the modern era, being too susceptible to disruption from bad weather and too far away from the main school premises.

- Planning permission has been secured and firm quotes received for the work.  Now we just need the money to build.

- Unfortunately, government funding is not available for this project so we must rely on donations.

 

What are the benefits of an on-site all-weather pitch?

- The surface will be suitable for curriculum PE and outdoor games, as well as for competitive matches of rugby and football.

- The facility will ensure access to high quality outdoor activity for the entire school community whilst also eliminating the time currently needed to travel to and from off-premises locations and resolve the implicit health and safety issues of taking students off-site.

- Ensuring access to physical activity throughout a student’s time at AGS is a critical element of our overall education (learning through participation), with proven benefits for both physical and mental health.

- When not in use by the School, the facility will be available to local community organisations, subject to appropriate agreements, and in line with our strategic approach to collaborate with the local community, reflecting our founding principles.

 

What are the current timescales of this project?

- We aim to have the new pitch ready for use by April 2026, the start of the summer term.

- To achieve this, we will need to start work by Jan 2026. We will need most of the funds secured by Dec 2025, and a majority pledged by June 2025.

How do you process my gift and what does it cost?

Debit or credit card gifts are processed via Stripe and their processing fees are as follows:

- Donations made via UK debit or credit cards are charged at 1.5% + 20p

- Donations made via European debit or credit cards are charged at 2.5% + 20p

- Donations made via non-European debit or credit cards are charged at 3.25% + 20p

 

How will my donation be used?

100% of your donation will go towards our Pitch In campaign, helping to improve on-site sports provision for students.

 

How do I get in touch?

Please email development@ags.bucks.sch.uk or call 01296 480235

 

How will you use my information?

We want to stay in touch with you and will keep your personal data in accordance with your wishes. We will update your contact details, and we may use new information to communicate with you for marketing and fundraising purposes. A detailed statement on how your data is held and used is set out in our privacy notice, which you can read here. If you no longer wish to receive this type of communication from us or would like to change your preferences about the information we send you, have any questions about your personal data, or would like a paper copy of our privacy notice, please contact development@ags.bucks.sch.uk or telephone 01296 480276. Our Charity Number is 1089244. Our HMRC XR70025