The Friends came into being in the 1960s when the Sisters who managed the School saw the value of a voluntary body giving parents, past pupils and others an opportunity to become involved in fund-raising activities. Around that time the Sisters also received a grant of £1000 for urgent repairs to the building on condition that they opened it to the public on specific days of the year, and realised they would be unable to fulfil this request without outside assistance. Thus the Friends were given the twin aims of raising money for, and organising tours of Old Palace, and these remain their two principal functions today.

JOIN THE FRIENDS
While you're on the tour, you'll be able to see some of the ways in which the money raised by the Friends has been used - for example, hand-crafted furniture in the Guard room, stained glass and solid wood seating in the Chapel, the restored Tudor Dining Room of Cardinal Morton, all much appreciated by pupils and visitors alike. And you can join the Friends, too, if you would like to express your ongoing support for the work we do.