Go to: 2009 / 2008 / 2007 / 2006 - Please click on any of the images to see them full size.

In 2009

A Little Help Goes a Long Way

When "the state of the art" Families Centre was first opened at Glencourse Barracks, Penicuik, the Caley helped equip a room as the Caley Homework Club. We still support the project and provide a teacher for the group, which as the pictures below show, goes from strength to strength, as the children from the 2nd Scots enjoy their studies.

Dreghorn Playgroup and Creche

These two children are the latest to benefit from a Caley grant. Over the last few years the Caley has made a number of grants to the playgroup and the children all enjoy the play fort which we jointly funded. The latest grant will purchase two further items.

These lovely photographs were taken by Kay Horsfield when she and John visited the playgroup last month.

200th Anniversary Badge Ceremonies

Shawn and Tricia Lawrence were both recently awarded 200th Anniversary Badges from the Royal Caledonian Schools Trust. The Presentation made by Provost Denis Agnew marks a long association between Shawn, his mum Tricia and the Caley. Shawn recently helped raise £500 for the Caley at a unique sponsored swim.

(L to R) Mayor Dorothy Thornhill, Chairman Keith Robertson, John Horsfield, Sharon Cooper-Collins and Jo Parish - on the presention to staff of their 200th Anniversary Badges .

Caley Scholar Laura Moodley

Caley Scholar Laura Moodley will graduate from Herriot Watt University in June 2009 where she has studied Clothing Design and Manufacture.

Caley Scholar Heather Gillespie

Caley Scholar Heather Gillespie graduated from Cardonald College in October 2008 and currently attends Huddersfield University where she is studying Theatre Costume with Textiles at degree level.

Bruce Torrance Takes a Gap Year in Guyana

The Caley help sponsor Bruce, who is undertaking a Gap Year in Chenapou, an extremely remote village in Guyana. Bruce is teaching 14-16 year olds English, Maths, Science and Art and is enjoying the many challenges of his new surroundings.

Shawn Lawrence - Another Caley Champion

Shawn, who is 21 next month, has just won a bronze medal in the 50 metre backstroke in the British Championships. He also holds the 200 metre Scottish record; although Shawn suffers from cerebral palsy. His mother Tricia another "Champion" has just become a Scottish technical officer in disability sports. They are now looking to see if Shawn can make it to the 2012 Para Olympics. The Caley is rightly proud of Shawn. Please see our "Can You Help Us" page for more information on supporting Shawn in his charity swim challenge.

The Charity Swim

The West Highland Way is normally a walk of 52 km done by thousands of hikers each year. Due to disability this was not possible so the Lawrence's, their friends and family decided that it would be a great idea to swim the equivalent distance (6060 lengths!)

Update May 2009:

The sponsored swim went extremely well with over £500 being raised. The swimmers, friends and families had a few words to say:
"I hope the money we raise helps other kids" said Shawn Lawrence.
"What a team! You means I'm fit now?" cheered mum, Tricia Lawrence.
"It was a heart warming experience to see the enthusiasm with which the swimmers, with such diverse abilities/disabilities, helped and encouraged each other towards such wonderful community, team and personal goals" commented avid supporter Charlotte.

Our most grateful thanks and admiration go to Shawn, Tricia and everyone involved in this fantastic fundraising exercise.

Press Release Dated 19 March 2009 For Immediate Release

"Concern about their children's education is affecting front line morale!!" Says Head of the Oldest Tri Service Charity.
The following press release was issued today.

The Head of Britain’s oldest tri-service charity has spoken out in support of the children of the 6,300 service men and women serving in Afghanistan. John Horsfield the C.E. of The Royal Caledonian Schools Trust, whose founders included The Duke of Wellington, has asked supporters to put pressure on the UK and Scottish Governments to give more thought and money to the plight of Service Kids especially their education.

In the latest “Caley Update” He writes “Only those who have experienced it, can imagine what it is like to be a service child in the 21st. Century. You have probably attended a number of different schools each time having to say goodbye to your friends. Your dad or mum has just returned from being away for three months on overseas training and they are now about to leave for Afghanistan, where you know that soldiers get killed.

This reality faces thousands of British service children. By April 6300 troops will be deployed in Afghanistan and many others remain in Iraq or are posted elsewhere. Other parents are away for months at a time whilst serving with the Navy or RAF. Yet very little is being done to prepare and support these children or the staff who are trying to teach them.” He continues “I have huge respect for groups like Help for Heroes but everyone seems to have forgotten that heroes have children and they don’t want to be worrying about them whilst doing dangerous front line duties.”

The Caley is also speaking up for teachers who in many cases have been given no training in how to support these children. The Caley has recently been asked to help support a primary school where the children of 80 of the parents are being deployed to Afghanistan, They were able to provide some limited training and have agreed to pay for extra support staff while those troops are away, but this is just what John Horsfield describes as “a drop in the ocean”.

The article concludes, “We can’t take away the anxiety these children or their parents but believe we could widen the scope of our project so that more teachers could have the support needed to help these children. But this will take money and this time some of it should come from central governments” end.

For further information contact John Horsfield on 01923 215350 or 07971 071780 We can supply 1. “Caley Update” 2.Service Children’s Education Issues a Caley briefing paper.

Ski Success For Caley Scholar

Caley Scholar, 15 year old May Fisher, with Caley help is skiing her way to the British Telemark Ski Team. The Caley are helping her with the costs when she takes part in the British Team Selection and Training at the end of April 2009.

Future Actresses Visit Caley Office

Three young Caley Scholars from the Ravenscourt Theatre School who are receiving grants from the Caley, visited to discuss their future plans as they will be moving on from their school this summer. We hope that they will become successful when they, in turn, can help us.

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In 2008

The Caley Celebrates

2008 has been a very lively year for the Caley as well as facing up to an increase of 25% more requests for grants, we have been celebrating the 200th anniversary of launch of the successful appeal by the Highland Society of London which lead our foundation.

We held a number of events to mark this anniversary and these are just a few of the many photos now joining our archives.

Two facts about the Caley:
- In the 19th century places at the school were allocated by ballot. We have two applications one signed by Queen Victoria nominating the child of a former member of her domestic staff. The other signed on behalf of the future King Edward VII for the son of a coachman.
-We believe that the Caley is the oldest tri-service charity although we had to wait over a hundred years to welcome the children of Scots from the RAF!!

Concert and Exhibition at the Purcell School

About 70 guests attended this concert and viewed an exhibition of photos from the Caley archives.

Dover House Reception

In October we were allowed to hold a reception in Dover House currently home of the Scotland Office. We were honoured by the presence of HRH Princess Anne the Princess Royal who spoke with all our guests including some of our current scholars.

Joint Reception with Queen Victoria School

QVS is 100 years old so we had a joint reception in the Great Hall at Edinburgh Castle.

Service of Thanksgiving Crown Court Church

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, The Rt. Rev. David Lunan, preached his only London sermon using the theme of the Good Samaritan to commend the work of the Caley and highlighted the need to ongoing support for our work.

The Moderators Reception at the Fleming Collection

We were again joined by David Lunan when he met a number of Caley Scholars to whom he presented 200th Anniversary Badges.

2009 will be much quieter with just two main events, a reception in Scotland still to be arranged and our 2009 Moderators Reception at the Fleming Collection

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In 2007

September 2007

Over seventy guests attended the Caley's Scottish reception at Edinburgh Castle on 27 September where Maj-Gen David McDowall presented awards to our Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Caley Scholars.

August 2007

After an absence of three months due to ill health, our CE John Horsfield, is gradually returning to work. At the end of April, John was rushed to hospital with a major knee infection. After 14 weeks, 4 operations and a new right knee (his third!), John is beginning to catch up. He wants to thank scholars and others for their good wishes during his incarceration.

February 2007

On 8 February HRH The Princess Royal formally opened the Army Welfare Service's new Childcare Centre at the Wimberley Estate in Inverness. As one of the funders of the new Centre, the Caley was represented at the Opening by Chief Executive, John Horsfield.

Go to: 2009 / 2008 / 2007 / 2006 - Please click on any of the images to see them full size.

In 2006

November 2006

Some photographs from the Caley's later decades. As ever, we'd love to hear from you if you can identify location, event or any of the individuals:

A link with our late Royal Patroness

The long association of the late Queen Mother with the Caley has been marked on a slab in the Queen Mother's Memorial Garden in the beautiful Royal Botanical Garden in Edinburgh. The Garden, which reflects her late majesty's charitable work, was opened by Her Majesty the Queen at a ceremony where we were represented by Lt Col Hugh Cowan, the Chairman of our Scottish Support Committee.

May 2006

An Apology: we must apologise to regular visitors for the absence of new items during the last couple of months but we can now report that John Horsfield, our Chief Executive. has returned from protracted sick leave following a further knee replacement and subsequent fall. Normal service is gradually returning.

All Change at the Top

After eleven active years as Chairman of the Schools, Iain Stewart Hunter stood down at the end of March. The annual Court of Guardians unanimously elected Keith Robertson as our new Chairman.

Keith, who was Deputy Chairman, has been a Caley Director for over twenty-five years. He follows the example of his father, Douglas Robertson MBE, who was Chairman in the 1980’s.

In 1996 Keith, a quantity surveyor, led negotiations for us when the residential premises in Bushey were sold to the Purcell School of Music.

In addition to his work with the Caley, Keith is a Governor of Parmiters School and a member and former President of the Caledonian Society of London.

To mark his eleven years in the Chair, retiring Chairman Iain Stewart Hunter was presented with a decanter which had been used at the Schools.

February 2006

This month sees the addition of items from our photographic archive. A conservative estimate places the number of photographs we hold as between six to seven thousand and the earliest photos are from the early 1900s when the Schools relocated from Islington in London to Bushey in Middlesex.

Each month we will be adding a few more pictures to this page. Most of the people or events are not known to us but if you can identify them we'd love to hear from you.

For additional information about the Caley Photo Archive please go to the How You Can Help Us page.

For the past four years the Army Welfare Service has run a Residential Summer Adventure which gives youngsters aged 10-16 a chance to extend themselves socially and physically in ways they would otherwise be unlikely to experience.

The kids take part in outdoor activities such as kayaking, windsurfing, climbing, and hill-walking.

As part of their activities they are set tasks in problem solving and must learn to work together. Suddenly placed within a much larger community than normal, the children have to learn how to get along with many others, all of which plays a vital role in teaching them good social skills.

Go to: 2009 / 2008 / 2007 / 2006 - Please click on any of the images to see them full size.