“This School Changed My Life”
Published by Lord Wandsworth College on Tuesday 7th of April 2026
Former England rugby international and Patron of the Lord Wandsworth Foundation, Ugo Monye, led tributes to the work of the charity at this year’s Foundation Day.
Held on Thursday, 26th March, the event celebrated the work of the Foundation, more than a hundred years after its inception.
Mr Monye attended Lord Wandsworth College as a Foundationer and reflected upon the impact of his time there as he welcomed guests. He revealed that, “This school changed my life,” before telling the story of his first arrival in its 1200 acres.
The former Harlequins and England star spoke of beginning his LWC journey as a 13-year-old who had a “dream to play football for Arsenal.” It was at the College that he was first introduced to rugby. After leaving LWC, he would eventually go on to make over 240 appearances for Harlequins, scoring 87 tries and winning 14 caps for England, alongside touring with the British & Irish Lions. He is now a successful broadcaster.
Ugo Monye is one of over 2,500 Foundationers to pass through Lord Wandsworth College since it first opened its gates in 1922.
LWC was created by Baron Sydney Stern, who, upon his death, left one of the largest charitable bequests to give “a chance in life to many who might not otherwise have had it.” The College was set up to educate children who had lost the support of one or both parents. It continues to widen worlds and transform lives to this day.
Foundation Day 2026 saw those whose lives have been boosted by the charity invited to celebrate its legacy.
There were moving accounts of the impact that LWC has on young people, from families who have become part of the College community through the Foundation.
LWC Foundation Tutor, Tom Shedden spoke of the pastoral and wellbeing support on offer at the College, whilst current Foundationers revealed how LWC has provided a holistic setting which allows them to feel safe and crucially ‘seen’.
Alongside showcasing performances from our talented musicians (many of whom cite music as being a pivotal part of their College experience), the event was a meaningful reminder of the change that can be instigated for a young person through education.
Ugo Monye described Lord Wandsworth College as an “incubator for opportunity.” These words were echoed by LWC Head, Adam Williams, who encouraged Foundationers to seize the uncertainty of the future with the help of those around them:
“The world that our students, our Foundationers are growing into will not reward people who simply follow instructions well. It will reward people who can orient themselves when the instructions disappear…when the path bends….when it breaks…or when it vanishes altogether. Here at LWC, we believe the most important thing we can give a young person is not a destination, but direction.
“To our Foundationers and your families – we are all here in this room, in this school, in this landscape to be part of your journey. It is a journey that has a beginning, a middle and an end, of course. But the best part is that the final two stages are yet to be written and that is why the Foundation exists.”
You can still donate to the Lord Wandsworth Foundation Day Appea
