HIWCF Trustee honoured with MBE for lifetime of service to education

Firstly, congratulations on being awarded an MBE for Services to Education. How did it feel to receive the news and what does this recognition mean to you personally?

Krysia: “First of all, it was a shock. I certainly didn’t expect it. My husband bought the post into the kitchen as I was doing something and said, “there’s some post for you”, and I asked what it was and if he could open it because I had my hands in gloves. Then he said “It’s His Majesty’s service”, and I said, “it’s probably the tax man or something”! Well, anyway, when he gave me the envelope on the bottom of it was written ‘Cabinet Office’. So as I opened it the penny still hadn’t dropped. When I opened it and read it, I had to read it again because I thought, no, this is a scam, this is something – it said “His Majesty the King will award you the MBE for Services to Education”.

It’s just a complete and utter shock. I think it’s a recognition of a lifetime service to education and my dedication to that work. It’s also recognition of all the excellent people that I’ve worked with – and that includes young people – because you can’t do it on your own. So, it’s a reflection of what I’ve done ever since I was 20 years old and it is a wonderful accolade. And my family, of course, are absolutely delighted.”

We know that education can be life changing – can you share a particular moment or experiences that reminds you of why your work in schools mattered so much?

Krysia: “There are countless moments and stories from countless schools because I’ve done eight headships. But for me, I think the memory that stands out the most was in 1999, I was headhunted to take a school in Portsmouth out of special measures. I said to my husband “I’m going to have a crack at this” and he thought I was totally barmy, considering that this was a school that was in the most deprived area of the city. The results were poor, lots of children were eligible for free school meals, there were a lot of special educational needs, poor attendance, you know – the whole shebang. Anyway, I read the Ofsted report and I thought, ‘this is what real education is about’. I had a year to get it out of special measures. In the March of 2000, I did a big assembly because we had around 8 Ofsted inspectors in the school to basically assess whether the school going in the right direction.

So I said, “Right, we’ll stick to the normal routine. We’ll all head over to the assembly in St Luke’s Church,” which was literally attached to the school grounds. There were 986 children waiting to get into the church, but the gates were locked. In that kind of school, it didn’t take much to light the touchpaper. I burst into tears because I thought, what am I going to do now? Meanwhile, eight inspectors were watching, no doubt looking to see how behaviour would unfold.

Then two Year 11 boys – probably two of the biggest scallywags in the school – put their arms around me and said, “Don’t cry, Mrs B. We’ve got this.”

They walked up and down the line saying, “Come on, we’ve got to make this work. This is important. Mrs B’s upset. We’ve got to get this sorted.” Then they ran off, got the caretaker out of bed – he’d overslept – the gates were opened, and off we all went to the church. The children behaved fantastically.

I mention that occasion because, for me, that’s the day the school turned. That’s when those young people realised just how important it was for us to succeed. That was the culture change. It wasn’t being done to them; it was being done with them. I’d say it was one of the most life-changing experiences of my career. Yes, we came out of special measures, but more importantly, we’d done it together, and it was a real cause for celebration.

That memory will stay with me for a very long time because it represented so many things. Those young people understood how important that school was in their lives. It was the safest place in their community, and they wanted to protect it. They wanted it to succeed. That’s something I’ll never forget.”

Throughout your career in education, what role have you seen education play in creating opportunities and helping young people overcome barriers?

Krysia: “The important thing about education is that it liberates children’s minds – and it is there to give them confidence in themselves. If you can read and write, and you can be numerate, it opens doors for you. It also creates opportunity for young children to dare to dream – and particularly in challenging schools in deprived areas – to be able to say, “Yes, I can”, rather than, “No, I can’t”.

There are constant barriers against children, parents can be one barrier, not because they don’t love their children, but because of the fact that nobody gave them a chance in the first instance. I think education is very much about giving people opportunity to help themselves, which actually is no different to what we’re doing with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation. We are giving money to so that they can make a difference in the life of others.”

What first attracted you to the work of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation and why is it a cause you feel such a strong affinity with?

Krysia: “What attracted me to it was the fact that I had just retired as Chair of Governors at Portsmouth High School and the Lord Lieutenant, who is HIWCF’s president, said that I ought to get involved in charity work given my extensive knowledge of work in Portsmouth. But I knew that I didn’t want to just sit on a board, I wanted to actually be able to play a part in helping these communities because I wanted to give something back. I knew I had benefited, and my school and my kids had benefited greatly from the Home-Start programmes which are often funded by HIWCF. Since I got involved with the Foundation, I have to say that I’ve never ever looked back. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to give back, but also to see the good that is done because it’s local charities and local people that benefit – it’s not this pot of money that exists and nobody can ever see the impact.

Well, they’re important because they’re the organisations that really understand their communities. They know the local issues because they live and work alongside the people they’re supporting. If I hadn’t spent the last 25 years working in Portsmouth, I probably wouldn’t have understood many of the challenges people face here. And I’m not just talking about children and young people – I’m talking about people of all ages. Portsmouth is often thought of simply as a city on the south coast, but it has significant pockets of deprivation.

What I really value about the Foundation’s approach is that it doesn’t dictate solutions. Instead, it gives local organisations the opportunity to identify the needs they see every day and develop projects that are right for their communities. They’re the decision-makers, and I think that’s exactly how it should be.

When organisations apply for funding, they’re setting out the need, who they’ll help and the impact they hope to achieve. The funding then gives them the opportunity to turn those ideas into reality. Our role is to make sure the funding is well used, that organisations are well run, and then to measure the impact they’ve achieved. For me, that’s why investing in local community organisations is so important. It puts resources into the hands of the people who know their communities best and gives them the opportunity to create lasting change.”

Many people may not realise the impacts that charitable giving can have locally. What would you say to someone considering supporting HIWCF as a donor or fund holder?

Krysia: “I think one of the challenges is that people don’t always see the impact of their giving straight away. Many people want to fund something tangible – they want to see a building, a plaque or an immediate result. But community change often happens gradually, and that’s no less important.

From my experience in Portsmouth, there are huge differences between communities, and it’s easy for people who are more affluent not to realise the level of need that exists just a few miles away.

What HIWCF does so well is connect donors with the real impact of their generosity. You see it when you sit on grants panels or meet the organisations and the people whose lives have changed because of that funding. That’s where you realise the difference it makes.

For me, giving isn’t just about funding a project; it’s about investing in people and communities. The reward isn’t always something you can put your name on, but knowing you’ve helped create opportunities for others is incredibly powerful.”

Looking to the future, what are your hopes for the Foundation and the communities it serves?

Krysia: “My hope is that when people hear the name HIWCF, they immediately know who we are, what we do and the difference we make. I think we’re making real progress on that, particularly through sharing stories and demonstrating impact. People often connect more with pictures and real-life examples than pages of statistics and this is something we need to do more of.

I’d also like to see more people recognising that we all have a responsibility to support our communities. Children, families and local organisations don’t exist in isolation – they thrive when communities invest in them.

Of course, we’re operating in a difficult economic climate, and that’s a challenge for everyone. But I’m optimistic. The Foundation has achieved a huge amount already, and I think this period has helped us become even clearer about our purpose. My hope is that we continue to build on that, celebrate the impact we’re having and encourage more people to come with us on that journey.”