
Since 1749, the Dolphin Society has held an annual fundraising appeal, continuing Bristol's rich tradition of philanthropy.
About the Society
The Dolphin Society is a membership organisation that is headed up by a President who is appointed on a yearly basis and whose responsibility it is to make an annual appeal to raise funds for the Society.
The Presidential Appeal has been held continuously every year since 1749 when the Society was originally formed to emulate the exceptional generosity of Edward Colston. The Society’s name and logo references the dolphin in his coat of arms.
Anyone willing to make a commitment to offer their time as President, within three years of joining, may be nominated to join the Society, with the approval of its members.
Current and Past Presidents

Current President
Edward Corrigan
The Dolphin Society retains records of its Past Presidents and their appeal collections back to its founding year in 1749. All those since the start of this century are listed here.
2000 | R M McKinlay, CBE | £51,354 |
2001 | R C L Feneley | £80,035 |
2002 | S R Parsons, MBE, DL | £80,288 |
2003 | T E Pyper | £70,004 |
2004 | T Smallwood, OBE, DL | £64,095 |
2005 | Mrs F Densham | £104,241 |
2006 | C G Clarke, CBE,DL | £92,000 |
2007 | Mrs M Prior, CVO, MBE, LL, JP | £102,248 |
2008 | A C Morris, CBE, DL | £90,118 |
2009 | R N Baird | £82,923 |
2010 | J H Moule | £73,276 |
2011 | Ms H Moss, OBE | £82,884 |
2012 | T S Ross | £128,387 |
2013 | Mrs S Foxall-Smith | £76,000 |
2014 | M Lea | £73,907 |
2015 | R Bourns | £98,180 |
2016 | Mrs L P Marshall | £84,095 |
2017 | J Hollingdale | £87,700 |
2018 | Vanessa Moon | £82,600 |
2019 | Frank C T Smith | £93,000 |
2020 | Mimi Avery | £150,000 |
2021 | D J Pople | £153,923 |
2022 | Joyshri Sarangi | £111,000 |
Current and Past Presidents
The Dolphin Society retains records of its Past Presidents and their appeal collections back to its founding year in 1749. All those since the start of this century are listed here.
2000 | R M McKinlay, CBE | £51,354 |
2001 | R C L Feneley | £80,035 |
2002 | S R Parsons, MBE, DL | £80,288 |
2003 | T E Pyper | £70,004 |
2004 | T Smallwood, OBE, DL | £64,095 |
2005 | Mrs F Densham | £104,241 |
2006 | C G Clarke, CBE,DL | £92,000 |
2007 | Mrs M Prior, CVO, MBE, LL, JP | £102,248 |
2008 | A C Morris, CBE, DL | £90,118 |
2009 | R N Baird | £82,923 |
2010 | J H Moule | £73,276 |
2011 | Ms H Moss, OBE | £82,884 |
2012 | T S Ross | £128,387 |
2013 | Mrs S Foxall-Smith | £76,000 |
2014 | M Lea | £73,907 |
2015 | R Bourns | £98,180 |
2016 | Mrs L P Marshall | £84,095 |
2017 | J Hollingdale | £87,700 |
2018 | Vanessa Moon | £82,600 |
2019 | Frank C T Smith | £93,000 |
2020 | Mimi Avery | £150,000 |
2021 | D J Pople | £153,923 |
2022 | Joyshri Sarangi | £111,000 |
The Membership
Management Committee
President: Edward Corrigan
President Elect: Paul Brown
Honorary Treasurer: John Hollingdale
Honorary Secretary: John Davies
Immediate Past President: Joyshri Sarangi
President Elect in Waiting: Jane Palmer
Additional Trustees:
Helen Moss OBE
David Pople
Administrator: Sean Hollinswaite
Members
- Mimi Avery
- Roger Baird
- Keith Bonham MBE
- Hon. Vere Boscawen
- Robert Bourns DL
- Denis Burn
- Chris Curling DL
- Andrew Densham CBE
- Fiona Densham
- Martin Davies Jones
- Martin Flook
- Sandie Foxall-Smith
- Michael Hill MBE
- Mike Lea
- Laura Marshall
- Dayrell McArthur
- Bob McKinlay
- Vanessa Moon
- Alfred Morris CBE
- Jos Moule
- Stephen Parsons MBE, DL
- Mary Prior CVO, MBE, DStJ
- Tim Pyper
- Tim Ross
- Trevor Smallwood OBE
- Roger Smedley MBE
- Frank Smith
- Sir Jay Tidmarsh KCVO, MBE
FAQs
The Society’s founding members chose the dolphin which features on the Colston family shield. In heraldry, dolphins denote ‘charity’.
No, we fund organisations who are better placed than us to help individuals in need.