In many instances, the schools’ support for charities extends beyond fundraising to incorporate significant community projects. All three schools support the development and management of two schools in Malawi, both through charitable fundraising, working with Open Arms Malawi, and by supplying teaching and pupil support during the summer and autumn breaks. The Mary Erskine School and the ESMS Junior School have been heavily involved in the establishment, through The Chesney Trust, of The Edinburgh Girls’ High School in north-east Malawi. ESMS has also completed the sixth year of a ground-breaking Partnership Agreement with City of Edinburgh Council, whereby the schools took over the management and maintenance of Arboretum Playing Fields on a 60-year lease, in exchange for the restoration of the previously derelict pavilion and guaranteed continuing access by local clubs and schools. Under the agreement, local schools use Arboretum playing fields for rugby and football fixtures free of charge on a weekly basis.