Hurst helped me more than I’m able to articulate and really felt like a family. I made friends for life and it certainly changed my life. I hope to be able to give back once I’ve earned some money for myself.

I have been extremely fortunate that people encouraged and helped me to take and develop opportunities beginning with the scholarship at Hurst, which put me on the trajectory for the things I’ve done.

Now, as a doctor working in the UK, I can truly appreciate how my time at Hurst helped shape my journey, thanks to the strong academic and personal foundation I built there.

Beyond academics, as an avid rock and metal head, it was a real surprise Hurst provided an environment where I could meet like-minded people and be given the equipment to play together, even contributing to the organisation of a charity concert. This is one of those core memories that often brings a smile to my face, and is all thanks to the opportunities provided to me by Hurst!

I was fortunate to attend Hurst on a combined bursary & scholarship, which gave me access to incredible opportunities.  I encourage others (if you can) to support students who might otherwise miss out on the transformative experiences Hurst can provide. Together, we can empower more young people to thrive and go on to lead sustainable careers.

Confidence, stoicism, resilience, integrity and empathy – all qualities instilled during my time at Hurst and all have been material for my adult life.

 I much enjoyed my time at Hurst and was brilliantly taught, so much so that I got a place at Cambridge to read engineering, which I also much enjoyed. All in all, therefore, I think my time and education at Hurst stood me in good stead and I much appreciated it!

I enjoyed my time at Hurst immensely, from the friendships made, the confidence and resilience I acquired which helped to define my life in the communities in which I lived and served. 

I have very fond memories of my five years at Hurst ('66 - '71) none of which would have been possible without the bursary. Hurst offered me an excellent all-round education and allowed me to succeed - both as a school prefect and a member of the first teams in both rugby and hockey.

From the very start, I felt welcomed into a community that encouraged both personal and academic growth. A significant benefit of going to Hurst was being stretched and challenged by the incredibly strong maths teachers, who inspired me to pursue Mathematics at the University of Warwick. This huge step in my life was entirely down to the support of a bursary, supporting me in growing into a more mature, thoughtful individual, while providing me with every opportunity to pursue my ambitions.

I credit Hurst for a career in telecoms, the success of that career was facilitated not by a top university degree, nor being a particularly outstanding sportsman, if always an enthusiast; it was by being a genuine all-rounder, someone who could mix with FTSE100 Directors, or those on the shop floor, who could socialise and talk on a wide variety of subjects, including sport, music, arts, economics and business, and by having an empathy with so many.

Whilst there are many benefits from being at Hurst, including the standard of education that you can work upwards from, the immense amount of quality sport on offer and the willingness of teachers and wider staff to put in the extra hours for you to succeed, it is the and attitude and personality traits that I now possess that are of the greatest benefit to me.