Foundation News
FAREWELL THE 1584 AND THANK YOU SOCIETY LUNCH: WISTERIA HOTEL Becca Maddocks
The contribution that Eileen Fisher has made to the Old Oakhamian Club in the last four years has been immense. Year group reunions, in the main hosted by her at Oakham, are now a regular part of the OO calendar. At the most recent event, a 30 year reunion of the Class of 1989, there were 100+ attendees and Eileen played a huge part in attracting so many of that year back to Oakham. In addition she created the OO Facebook group which now has over 2,000 members. She has been instrumental in setting up the OO Hub leading to many more OOs being in regular contact with one another. In addition she has sent out a regular OO newsletter, as well as dealing with the numerous day-to-day OO enquiries. It has been an absolute pleasure to work so closely with her over the past four years and she returns to her family home in Northern Ireland with the love and best wishes of all members of the Old Oakhamian Club and Foundation team. Quasi Cursores, Jon Wills (73) Chairman of the OO Club
NEW APPOINTMENTS Following the departure of Anna Bentley, the Foundation and Old Oakhamian Club have joined with the Marketing Department under the leadership of Director of External Relations, Samantha Rowntree. We are currently recruiting for a new Head of Development and an Alumni Manager, both of whom we hope will start at the same time in the autumn. We hope to give more information about the team in the next edition. 162
On Friday 7 June, the Oakham School Foundation and the 1584 Society’s President, Katherine Sharp, welcomed members of the 1584 Society to their second annual lunch at the Wisteria Hotel. Guests enjoyed a delicious and carefully selected menu in the newly refurbished Georgian Suite, prepared by chef Neil Hornsby (OO 80). Despite the wet weather, everyone very much enjoyed this opportunity to celebrate their support for the School. Chair of Trustees, Neil Gorman, thanked Eileen Fisher, Alumni Manager, for her contribution to alumni engagement at Oakham School. He gave an insightful speech on the transition from one Headmaster – Nigel Lashbrook, to another – Henry Price and the opportunity that this change would bring to Oakham School and the Foundation. Neil also outlined the importance of the Old Oakhamian community and how integral alumni engagement is for the future of Oakham School. After the lunch, Katherine Sharp welcomed all members – old and new – and spoke about the impact that increased members can make: “Just 26 members would provide us with enough funds to support a SpringBoard Pupil right through from Form 3 to Form 7 – a challenging but achievable aim.” Katherine spoke with clear admiration for Oakham School and the work of the Foundation and finished her speech by saying: “The power is in the collective and greater goals could be accomplished in the future. “Et quasi cursores vitai lampada tradunt!” My Latin has certainly declined in the last 21 years, but these words are still very firmly with me!” Nigel Lashbrook concluded the speeches by speaking fondly of Royal SpringBoard, explaining how they identify able students from disadvantaged backgrounds and provide them with access to a boarding experience and a
standard of excellence of education that would otherwise be impossible. Nigel said: “Drawing on all sections of society, our SpringBoard Bursaries are a way of demonstrating that we, as a School, practise what we preach.” Nigel thanked all 1584 Society members for their continued support of the Oakham School Foundation and said he was delighted to see that the number of guests in attendance had more than doubled since the Society’s inception in 2018. We hope that by next year’s 1584 Society Lunch, the number will have doubled again, to help transform the lives of Oakhamians. For more information on how to become a member of the 1584 Society, please contact 01572 758699 or email foundation@oakham.rutland.sch.uk