Page 4 - Old Ratcliffian Magazine 2017

P. 4

4 INTRODUCTION

THE EDITOR’S COLUMN everyone can benefit - especially our younger ORs, as they start
their journey in life. This will enable our more experienced alumni
to give back what they have learnt over the years. Mentoring and
careers are particular areas of focus for the Association, and I
would urge you to take a look around the website if you haven’t
done so already.

Our third big breakthrough for 2017 was a modification of our
accounts, which we have now stabilised. We are finally set to
make a small surplus each year, for the foreseeable future, so
that the Association can grow. This was largely due to the fact
that our outgoing President, Sam Bird (98), noticed, upon closer
inspection of our subscription scheme, that our Preparatory
School students were not paying any subscription fees, even
though they would still be entitled to membership after leaving
Ratcliffe. The School has addressed this, and we can now offer
every pupil membership of the Association upon leaving Ratcliffe
College.

Alexandra Slack (née Gamble) (03) I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sam for all of his
hard work during his presidency. I would also like to welcome
Dear Old Ratcliffians, Sebako Siame (91), only our third female President, who has
been in post since July 2017. Sebako works at Goldman Sachs
It feels like only yesterday that I sat down to write the Editor’s and has a wealth of business knowledge, so she is all set to pick
Column for the 2016 issue of the magazine. It’s been another up the pace with our mentoring and careers programme. She has
very busy year for the Association, with a full events calendar also joined the Ratcliffian Association and Cunningham Fund
for 2017. This has included some new events, such as a five- committee, which supports bursaries for Old Ratcliffians. More
year reunion for the Class of 2012. The Association put on a information about this can be found on page 16.
cocktail party in the Old Boys’ Bar (see page 32), which was very
well attended, and this will now become an annual event for our It’s fair to say that 2017 has been an eventful and productive
younger Old Ratcliffians. We also held the first Rik Hughes Inter- year, not only for the Association, but also for me personally. For
School Cricket Cup against Loughborough Grammar (see page those of you that don’t know, I severely dislocated and fractured
40). We are planning another new event for next year, when an my ankle playing netball in May; it was non-weight bearing for
Old Ratcliffian XI will host a match against an Old Uppinghamian six weeks, and I am still on the road to recovery now. It was a
XI, and, of course, beat them! challenge, not only to keep my family life going (with two young
children and a busy husband), but also to make sure that the
Our biggest and most exciting change in 2018 will be our Reunion Association Office kept running for our members. This would not
Weekend. Since our new Headmaster, Jon Reddin, has taken up have been possible without the support of our newest member of
his post, he has really engaged with the Association, making staff, Old Ratcliffian Sarah Kerridge (12), who is covering Louise
positive changes for the good of all Ratcliffians. Together, we Liston’s maternity role as Foundation Assistant. Sarah picked up
have listened to your feedback, and we have now moved this a lot of my work initially, came
event back into term time, around the Grand Match, so that to meetings at my house
our ORs can revisit the School whilst its current pupils are in (which became the temporary
residence. We are very excited to be able to invite you back on Association Office), helped
Saturday 30th June for a dinner in the Ref, followed by a summer to run events, taxied me to
lunch for all the family in the marquee on Sunday 1st July, whilst and from work, and even
the Grand Match is taking place. (Please see the leaflet included pushed me around Ratcliffe
with your magazine for more details.) This would not have been in a wheelchair! Therefore,
possible without Jon and his Senior Leadership Team supporting a big thank you must go
us and moving the School’s busy events calendar around - a big to Sarah and Andrew Yell
thank you to them for enabling this to happen! (82), Foundation Director,
for manning the Association
Our second exciting announcement is the launch of our new Office during that time. Sarah Kerridge (12) (left)
website, which many of you may have seen by now. I have
been working hard, over the last two years, to bring you a I would also like to publically thank our corporate supporters for
more interactive website. You will now be able to look up and advertising in the magazine - Blue Sun Tree, Bird & Howes, The
message your classmates directly, view pictures of them, search Star Inn, Della Porta Design, Little Britain Pubs, Two Birds and
them by location on our interactive map, and see what they have James Hambro. These are a mixture of ORs and parents. Without
been up to over the years. You will also be able to book tickets our income from advertising, it would become harder each year to
for events, see who else will be attending, and advertise jobs send you this free publication. Please do think about supporting
and internships. One of the most exciting features of the new them - after all, we all have at least one common ground, which
website is its mentoring and careers network facility, from which is Ratcliffe.

The Old Ratcliffian 2017.indd 4 07/12/2017 11:12

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9