Fowey Grammar School Foundation hosts public meeting on the future of the Old Grammar School Garden
The Trustees of the Fowey Grammar School Foundation (FGSF) would like to thank all those who attended last week’s public meeting at Fowey River Academy to discuss the future of the Old Grammar School Garden. The event brought together a wide range of community voices — from long-standing residents and former students to current grant recipients and concerned citizens. It provided a valuable opportunity for open discussion and clarification.
As a registered charity, the Foundation exists solely to support the education and development of young people who attend or have attended Fowey Primary School or Fowey River Academy. In 2024, the Foundation awarded over £51,000 to 68 students to help them access higher education, vocational training, and specialist learning tools.
The Old Grammar School Garden is one of several assets that enable the Foundation to deliver this charitable work. As Trustees, we are legally obliged under Charity Commission guidance to ensure that such assets are used, maintained, and leveraged in line with the charity’s purpose — a responsibility we take seriously and fulfil as local volunteers.
While the evening included some robust exchanges — particularly in response to continued circulation of misinformation — it was heartening to see the community’s willingness to engage and the broad recognition of the Foundation’s work. We are grateful to those who contributed ideas or expressed a desire to be part of a constructive way forward.
As part of the discussion, concerns were raised about the statue known as ‘Rachel' and the memorial benches located in the Garden. Having taken into account third-party views and public sentiment, the Foundation confirmed at the meeting — and subsequently in writing to Fowey Town Council — that it did not require the removal of the statue or benches, provided the Council or relevant owners confirmed that they wished the items to remain, and that they accepted responsibility for their ongoing care and insurance.
It may also be helpful to clarify that before the statue was put in place, the Foundation made it known to the Council that the long-term future of the lease was uncertain and that this should be communicated to those involved. The Foundation did not object to the statue’s installation, but requested that stakeholders be made aware of the circumstances.
With regard to benches and other memorials, we fully recognise their emotional significance and have acknowledged this publicly. While the Foundation cannot guarantee the indefinite presence of specific features — particularly where lease arrangements or site use may evolve — any future agreement would aim to honour their presence respectfully, and we will continue to encourage dialogue with the Council and others to explore appropriate ways forward.
We are especially grateful to those meeting attendees who recognised the difficult balance we are trying to strike: protecting cherished spaces and memories, while fulfilling our legal and moral responsibility to the next generation. That duty compels us to consider all options — including revised lease terms, educational use, and long-term sustainability of the Garden — so that it remains an asset, not a burden, for the young people the Foundation was created to serve.
Some questions were raised at the meeting regarding the Foundation’s legal obligation to financially ‘leverage’ the Garden as an asset. It is important to clarify that the Foundation’s charitable purpose is the provision of financial assistance to young people for their education and development. For us, generating income from our endowment — including from land and property — is not incidental; it is central to delivering on our charitable objectives. In other types of charities, such as those dedicated to heritage or environmental preservation, a different approach may be justifiable. In our case, allowing an underperforming or loss-making arrangement to continue would fall short of our duty to use charitable assets for maximum public benefit.
We are not required to ‘maximise profit’ at all costs. However, we are required to avoid arrangements that result in net financial loss or that prevent us from fulfilling our purpose — especially when our charitable outputs (such as student grants) rely directly on asset income. Linked to this, Charity Commission guidance makes clear that when leasing land, Trustees must:
Obtain and consider a report from a designated adviser (which we are doing); and
Be satisfied that the terms offered represent the best that can reasonably be obtained for the charity.
This is the lens through which we must assess all options for the future of the Garden — and it is why we continue to welcome thoughtful proposals that recognise both the Garden’s social value and our legal responsibilities.
The meeting marked a new phase in dialogue. We remain open to constructive proposals that address both the financial realities of our obligations and the community’s attachment to this space. Anyone wishing to discuss the matter further, or donate to the charity, is welcome to contact the Foundation via our Clerk at fgsclerk@hotmail.com.
