The Bursary Fund at Leighton Park

I came from a family of Quakers, many generations of whom have been to Quaker schools. But had it not been for a bursary the chain would have stopped with me because we could not afford for me to pay the full fees. Leighton Park transformed my life and set me up for so many successes and achievements that have come since. I am now a doctor, specialising in paediatric mental health and psychopharmacology research. I owe it all to Leighton Park and the opportunities given to me as a result of my bursary.

Owing to an unexpected financial situation I faced a sudden and potentially disastrous change of schools in my crucial A-level years. A bursary made all the difference and meant I could stay at Leighton Park. I am most grateful. After leaving Leighton Park, I went to the London School of Economics, where I studied sociology, and was also being closely involved in the launch of a student radio station, PuLSE. That experience enabled me to become a sound engineer at the BBC World Service. I have since moved through a range of roles in journalism, most recently spending two years as a BBC Middle East business correspondent, based in Dubai. I now live in London with my partner Susanna, and our two daughters, Ivy and Lola.

I wouldn’t have been able to attend Leighton Park without a bursary. While I was always aware of that fact, it wasn’t until I was 14 or 15 that I really began to realise how lucky I was. This made me keen to give back to the school where possible, especially when it came to tours for prospective students and open days and when I was elected to be a prefect. I now live in Edinburgh and work in publishing after doing my first degree in English Language at Glasgow. This is a route which I wouldn’t have taken had I not had the support of the staff at Leighton Park - in the English department and also the pastoral care of the house staff.

Without this helping hand I would have not been able to have such a great education and the opportunities that it presented. From being an awkward 13 year old, Leighton Park made me into the confident young man I was when I left. The close friends I left with and even the housemaster that married my wife and me 15 years later have been a constant reminder of the spirit of Leighton Park. I salute you! In 2013 I independently opened Parlour in London NW10 - an all-day bar and dining room, having cooked in the USA, Australia, London and Scotland.