20 Partnerships Inspire - Support - Challenge A Community of Philanthropy in OX14 and beyond: The Mercers’ Company and the Abingdon Foundation Abingdon School and the Mercers’ Company have a historic relationship, dating back to the Abingdon re-endowment in 1563 by Mercer and OA, John Roysse. Today we enjoy a collaborative partnership founded on mutual respect and a shared vision for empowering young people in education through community-focused initiatives that aim to inspire, support and challenge while developing essential life skills. As one of 17 schools in the Mercers’ Company network of Associated schools, in 2020 we applied for grant funding to establish two new roles - Partnership Coordinator and Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinator. Now in our sixth year of active grant funding and renewed partnership with the Mercers’ Company, we can reflect on the extraordinary impact and reach of some of our student-led collaborations, and how working together with our partner schools has enabled different communities of young people to work together to achieve great things. As the older Abingdon pupils introduce the fun activities and explain what they will be doing, you can see their shoulders start to relax, their eyes darting to the colourful and exciting equipment and games. As they explore the activities, it is evident how the reassurance and support from the older student leaders allows them to engage and enjoy themselves and fully immerse themselves in something new. Partnership Coordinator, Student led Primary STEM Club • 25,000+ hours of student experiences in partnership activities in 2024/25. This has grown from 5,000 in 2018 • 300+ Abingdon students involved in partnerships each year • 5,000+ primary school children take part in activities annually from at least 17 local primary schools • 250 teachers from local schools take part • A third of Abingdon school staff support or lead on a partnership activity
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