Highlands College Foundation allocated the Le Catillon II Coin Hoard Fund to promote scientific and educational research into the hoard.
The Highlands Foundation – Highlands College’s charitable arm, has been granted £250,000 from the sale of the Le Catillon II coin hoard, which is to be made available for scientific and educational research into the hoard.
The hoard was uncovered by two local amateur metal detectorists back in 2012, and under Jersey Law, it was automatically declared the property of the Crown. Negotiations between Jersey’s government and the Crown took place until 2021 when the Government of Jersey bought the hoard for £4.25 million, with £250,000 allocated for the scientific and educational research of the hoard. The Highlands College Foundation was identified as a suitable vehicle to hold and administer the funds, a decision accepted by members of the association in August 2023.
The Chairman of the Foundation, David Lord, said: “The trustees of the Highlands College Foundation were honoured to be approached by His Majesty’s Receiver General to be the vehicle for the administration and distribution of this significant sum of money.”
He continued, saying: “The opportunity for Highlands College and the Foundation to be involved in further discovery work of the Le Catillion Hoard is very exciting and adds another opportunity for the Island’s population to appreciate the amazing resource that Highlands College is to education in Jersey.”
Finally, he added: “There were no costs associated with making this possible, thanks to the generosity of the Law Officers and Advocate Heidi Heath.
The money ringfenced for scientific and educational research into the Le Catillon II Hoard will be made available before the end of the year to staff, students, and alumni of Highlands College, as well as for research by any third party in Jersey or from overseas wishing to further investigate this historic discovery. One such example for potential use of the funding is already being considered by Highlands Adult Community Education are looking to run courses for metal detectorists that will serve to teach more islanders about the hobby. Who knows – it may even result in another fantastic discovery!
The Highlands Foundation will also continue its normal operations in supporting the lifelong learning needs of the island’s students by offering a range of support, including assistance in purchasing equipment to support student learning, funding for extracurricular activities to enhance learning, mentoring from former students working in their industry, and funding for improvements to student facilities and equipment.
You can find out more about the work of the foundation on the Highlands College website or by emailing foundation@highlands.ac.uk
Pictured: Chairman of the Highlands Foundation, David Lord and His Majesty’s Receiver General for Jersey, Alan Blair in the display of the hoard at Le Hougue Bie.