St Edward's Chronicle Summer 2018

24 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Friends for Life This year, the Friends of St Edward’s celebrates its 10th anniversary. Head of Communications, Tracy van der Heiden, caught up with Emma Grounds, Friends’ Coordinator, to find out more about this important community forum.

‘It was a great privilege to have been part of the Friends of St Edward’s Committee from the outset. The Committee was, and still is, a cross-section of the parent body and has enabled talents, contacts and ideas to emerge to create a rich programme of social and charitable events. Many of these friendships have endured well beyond their time as parents at St Edward’s and I’m sure this is testament to its role in creating a vibrant community at the heart of the School. It was wonderful to come together to celebrate the Friends’ 10th Anniversary recently and I hope it will continue to reconnect friends of the School long into the future.’ Brenda MacRitchie, former Chair

Why was The Friends of St Edward’s established 10 years ago? The Friends of St Edward’s was formally launched in March 2008 with the aim of providing a social forum for past and present parents, pupils, staff and friends of the School by arranging events and maintaining contact with the wider St Edward’s community. Who set it up? Twelfth Warden, Andrew Trotman, and parents Sue Jackson and Brenda MacRitchie. Other early members included Elena Fletcher, Emma Charlton, Laura Mitchell, Jo Davies, Johanna Stephenson, Ania Ogston, Nicky Forsythe, Ginny Battcock, Philip Lea, Anthony Kerr-Dineen and Helen Wells.

What have been the highlights? Ten years ago the launch featured a pancake cook-off which was judged by chef Loyd Grossman, whose daughter was at Teddies at the time, and won by the former Sub-Warden, Tom James, who had cleverly teamed up with a trained chef to beat the strong team of Judy Young and Richard Murray! More recently, in Gaudy Week, the Friends celebrated their 10th anniversary in The North Wall surrounded by an amazing exhibition of RAF pictures entitled The Dambusters and Beyond – a nod to the 100th anniversary of the RAF and Teddies’ distinguished connection with the service throughout that time. Other major events have included Highland Flings, Call My Wine Bluff, Lectures and London Drinks.

Will Griffiths

The Committee and staff coordinators of The Friends of St Edward’s.