What we learn with pleasure........

It is with great regret that following the strategic review announced in our statement of November 2008 (see below) the Council of Trustees has reluctantly decided to wind up the Charity in an orderly fashion once all of its current business has been concluded. The timing of closure has been set to ensure that the Charity will be closed with dignity having disposed of all of its assets and settled all of its liabilities.

The last few years have been difficult. With economic and political instability it has proved exceedingly difficult to mount further Fulcrum Challenges.  As costs have escalated, so has the effort required in finding corporate sponsors and funds to pay for these Challenges. Rather than compromise the unique combination of experience the Trustees have decided that the charity will cease operation.

It is intended that the Fulcrum name and spirit will continue in the form of Bursaries which are being established with compatible charities offering similar development opportunities to young people. We are also using all monies designated for Village Projects to help continue the important work started, particularly in Eastern Africa.

We are proud to have been able to offer significant personal development opportunities and experiences to nearly 1900 students since the inception of the Charity, and confident that the Fulcrum experience has helped to shape their lives in a positive and rewarding way.

We wish our past students, and all those who benefit in the future from the Fulcrum Bursaries, our very best wishes.

The Fulcrum Team.                                                        ......we never forget

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November 2008 

Important News from Fulcrum. 

The downturn in the global and national economy experienced over the last year or so has caused difficulty and uncertainty for charitable organisations large and small across the UK.  As a relatively small charity Fulcrum is naturally not immune from these dramatic events in its external environment. One impact of these events is that our sponsors are less willing to make forward commitments until they are more confident about the future. Another impact is that many of the students hoping to undertake our Fulcrum Challenges are struggling to raise their personal contributions as their fundraising has become progressively more difficult in recent months. We have experienced a high dropout rate, one that seriously reduces the viability of each Fulcrum Challenge. Many sponsors who support our programmes are also facing significant reductions in their income flows, and this means that they are unable to compensate for shortfalls in students’ fund raising.  As a charity dependent on the voluntary contributions of others, we do not have unlimited reserves to meet the deficits being experienced. As you know Fulcrum Challenges operate to very high standards. Every aspect of each Challenge is rigorously quality controlled to ensure that students enjoy their life changing experience in a safe and controlled manner. We cannot reduce costs or take increasing risks by cutting corners to make our programmes more affordable. In light of all the above factors, the Trustees and senior management of Fulcrum have come to the reluctant conclusion and decision to postpone all Fulcrum Challenges planned to operate in Summer 2009 and beyond whilst we conduct a strategic review of Fulcrum’s future operations and activities.  We recognise that this decision will disappoint many sponsors, friends and prospective future students but we believe this is a necessary and prudent decision in light of the significant uncertainty which Fulcrum faces at the present time.  We need to consider alternative ways of meeting student needs. We hope to find a way to continue to provide learning and personal development experiences which enrich students’ life skills and which retain the basic building blocks and founding principles of our current programmes. Our challenge is to determine a more cost effective way to deliver these programmes in a world which still offers much opportunity but is constrained for the time being by the reduced financial resources available to both the charity and its beneficiaries. It is our hope that our Village Projects can continue in a modified form as they provide valuable and direct benefits to communities throughout poor areas of both India and Eastern Africa. To help you, and those around you, to better understand the implications of this decision we have drawn up a list of FAQ’s.  Should you have any other questions please email or ‘phone and our staff will do everything to help answer your questions. Over the next few months we intend to involve students and teachers along with many past Fulcrum Challenge students in the charity’s review of its operations and activities.  We will keep you informed as we make progress. Please do not hesitate to contact with us with any questions or concerns which you may have.  

Andrew Pawsey                                                                Graham Pay

General Manager                                                      Chairman of the Council of Trustees