“Attending Dame Allan’s on an Assisted Place Changed Everything for Me”

Getting the opportunity to attend Dame Allan’s was life changing for me. My grandfathers were both coal miners and my parents both left school at 14. My headmistress at my primary school suggested that I take the Dame Allan’s entrance exam. My mother took a part time job in anticipation of the fees, but even with this the family didn’t think they could actually afford for me to attend. So, when I found out that I had been awarded an assisted place, it was fantastic. It even came with a bus pass, which meant my family didn’t have to worry about the travel costs of sending me to school either. 

I have always had a strong personal work ethic, I loved to read and enjoyed maths. Dame Allan’s really helped me to tap into this work ethic and grow as a person. Although there were so many co-curricular activities on offer, I did sometimes struggle to take part in as many as I would have liked due to my commute to and from school - I had some really long days. However, I was a passionate rugby player, joining the 1st team at 14, and I took part in drama productions. 

I also honed my budding entrepreneurial spirit, running the school tuck shop and pioneering the ‘travelling tuck shop’ around the school, which saw a nice uptick in profits! I also led on school charity events, such as fundraising for the Scottish School Boys’ Society (who arranged for deprived boys to go on outward bound trips in Northumberland), as well as fundraising for the RNLI. That passion for trying something new has stayed with me, I learned to play the saxophone as an adult and I am part of a band too.

I also had the opportunity to travel with Dame Allan’s (although not as far and wide as our pupils do now, my son who attended the schools had sports trips to South Africa and Barbados!). I enjoyed a ski trip in Austria, plus a memorable geography trip to the Isle of Arran led by Don Walker, where I managed to break my ankle and had to be carried down by mountain rescue…

I think coming to Dame Allan’s fuelled my already ambitious nature - when I was 11 I told my Mum I’d be a millionaire by 40! The school opened my eyes to different backgrounds and aspirations, especially coming from my primary school where there was a lot of deprivation. 

I found that the careers guidance was so valuable too, it really helped me identify my strengths. After taking on some work experience at a law firm, I flew through the work that they had assigned to me and they asked if I wouldn’t mind helping their son, who was an accountant. And, that is how I landed on my career path in accountancy. Funnily enough, 23 out of 60 in my year group became accountants! 

I decided not to go to university after being offered a training contract, meaning I qualified as an accountant at 22, was a partner in my firm at 24, and was running the firm by 30. Getting my assisted place at Dame Allan’s put me on this path, and I am very grateful.

With the 2025 Giving Day coming up on 15-16 May, I think it is really important that our Allanian Community comes together to raise funds and help more children from backgrounds like mine get the opportunity to experience life at Dame Allan’s. I proudly donated to the campaign in 2024 and think it is so important to give something back, especially now that I hold the position of Chair of Governors and see the fantastic work going on across the Schools everyday. 

Attending Dame Allan’s on an assisted place changed everything for me, and certainly gave me opportunities I would otherwise not have had. I also met my wife here during the May Dance, when I was 18 and she was 16, so that is another thing to thank the Schools for! 

Funding for bursaries is in a very precarious state at the moment, with schools battling through a very tough economy and many financial challenges. By all pitching in, we can ensure that a Dame Allan’s education can be accessible to more children with potential, regardless of their background. 

As I know all too well, this funding will change lives.

To find out more about Giving Day 2025 and make a donation, please visit our Giving Day website here.