You are reading the online edition of the Old Camdenians Newsletter, September 2022.

Dear Old Camdenians

It was great to see our students again in a new academic year; looking smart in their uniforms and focused on a successful year ahead. We gave a warm welcome to our new year 7 and they have settled in very well. There is always a positive feeling in school at the start of a year and this year was no exception.

We have celebrated our Class of 2022 with some excellent exam results. Since the school became Beacon High each year-group has improved on the outcomes of the previous year. This year is no exception to that rule. Almost all of our Year 11 went on to their preferred college courses. We wish them all a bright and successful future.

Our students and staff put together a very special Open Evening event last week. It doesn’t seem so long ago that we were last able to demonstrate what a fantastic school Beacon High is. It makes me proud to see existing families spreading the word and telling new families how good the school is. We really do work together as a community and reflect the strength of our diversity. The students and staff showed how proud they are of their school. We also like the fact that we are the best kept secret in Islington and are truly a supportive, comprehensive, community of adults and young people.

October is of course Black History Month and our learners will be engaging in a number of curricular and extra-curricular events during the rest of this half-term. This will culminate in a celebration event.

At the end of the summer term we were recognised for the exceptional inclusion work that we do with an Inclusion Quality Mark. Alongside of this we were given Centre of Excellence status. We are rightly proud of this achievement which recognises all of the extra work we do to support our learners and their families through our trauma-informed practice. Well done to Mrs MacDonald and her team and all of the adults in the school who go the extra mile for our young people.

I am sure you have all experienced the cost of living crisis, with higher food and energy bills. Unfortunately, our school meals have increased this month to £2.30 and our energy costs are unmanageable and many of our families are struggling to purchase new uniform items. With this in mind you can register with easy fundraising here: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/beaconhigh/?searchSessionId=f057d446-b2d0-48e6-a64f-fb985bb0eefb . Use the easy fundraising app before you make any online purchases and the school will benefit directly.

Yours sincerely

Alan Streeter

The momentous events of the past few weeks will have affected us all differently. Whether your inclinations are monarchist or republican, or you are indifferent, there is no doubting the immense historical significance of the death of a Queen who has reigned for most, if not all of our lifetimes. I will add only that we observed a minute’s silence ahead of our last committee meeting on September 13^th.

You may already know that, in recognition of his untiring service to the Club over many years, George Ives has been made Honorary Life President. Many congratulations to him. As he notes below, he (and Pam) can now relax as he relinquishes his admin roles.

Other developments to note include an update to our website to include an online payment facility. It makes coughing up for the Annual Lunch so much easier! Dave Silvester of Qwerty IT Services gives details below.

The Committee has also approved in principal a donation to the Beacon High Girls Football Team Fund. The amount has yet to be finalised, but the intention is to provide kit and help to pay for playing facilities. See below for an expression of thanks from Bill Wood, Head of PE at the school.

See also a moving and dramatic letter to the club from Daryl James, a lifeboat crewman, who thanks members for their contributions to the RNLI in memory of our much missed friend, George Panayi.

The Game is over! I have now given up my Club admin jobs so you will not be hearing from me about the 50+Club. I am extremely proud of the fact that I started, with the Committee’s approval, the 50+Club which has been so consistently a source of Income benefiting the school over the years.

Also I have now handed over the reins of the Annual Lunch. It was with some trepidation the club approved my suggestion to hold this event at the school but I do not think anyone who has attended has disapproved of the venue.

Obviously I shall miss the occasions and the banter of the members but I shall be at the Annual Lunch on the 28th Ocober next and will hopefully see you there.

Thanks to everyone. We’ll meet again.

There are many major changes in life that we have no control over, such as the recent State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession to the throne of King Charles III. At this year’s 95th Annual Lunch, held on Friday 28th October, the loyal toast will be to The King for the first time for 70 years. The Old Camdenians Club was formed in the reign of Edward VII and endured during the reigns of George V; Edward VIII; George VI; Elizabeth II and continues in the reign of Charles III.

George Ives, a stalwart supporter of the club for over 75 years, has agreed to be an Honorary Life President of the Old Camdenians Club, George told me that he was in the Army during the State Funeral of George VI and Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. George and Pam will be our guests  at the 95th Annual Lunch. No doubt George will be keeping a watchful eye on me, together with Ann Tennant and her team, on Friday 28th October 2022, at the school.  Meet Jim Brown, at 11am, for a guided tour of the school; Meet Martin Quilter, at 11am – 1pm, who will be supplying drinks at the reception bar during our 113th AGM, which will be followed by lunch at 1pm. We intend to build on the success of George Ives’ annual lunches so please ensure that you have booked and join us.

The Club Committee continues to use Zoom as a means of meeting and are currently discussing the re-investment of the Bill & Nora Wraight Old Camdenians Memorial Fund and supporting the school in setting-up the Beacon High Girls Football Team. These will be discussed at the 113th AGM.

Many members are using and enjoying the OCC’s new website, which will be a year old next month. I wish to thank Dave  Silvester and his team at Qwerty IT Services Ltd., for their continued support and especially with the recent changes to the website;  the online payment processing facility.  You can book events; pay subscriptions and make charitable donations via the website. You will have your own secure login to ‘My Account’ where you can manage your bookings, 50+ Club subscriptions and  charitable donations, for example:- the Chromebook Fund and the Beacon High Girls Football Team Fund. Give it a try and let me know how you get on. With Dave and his team we have control over the changes so we need your feedback, which has already led to changes that have  made it easier to use.(See Dave’s article elsewhere).

I wish to thank Daryl James, Volunteer Helm, RNLI Barmouth Lifeboat Crew, for his kind letter thanking the OCC for its continued support through our  RNLI Tribute Page to George Panayi. Our thoughts are with Angela and her family. (See letter elsewhere).

I am pleased to inform you that ‘Peggy’, my 118-year-old steam traction engine, together with members of Brookmans Park Golf Club, have raised another £360 donation for Prostate Cancer Research, making a total of £725 this year – well done!

Lastly, have you visited the school’s website recently? Their weekly newsletter The Beacon always covers an entry for the Club – our thanks to Mohamed Abdelmula, who is Sarah McDonald’s replacement.

Following on from the success of the England Lionesses at the European Championships this summer, there has been a national call for greater support of girls’ football at grassroots level. This has clearly been heard by the Old Camdenians, who have set about creating their own legacy for girls’ football in the school with a magnanimous offer to further their development.

Back in 1909 a group of Old Camdenians formed a football club. That club has served former students and the wider community for 113 years and counting, and it would be amazing to think that this donation might just provide a springboard to creating something similar for our girls. The funds will be used to buy new Old Camdenians branded football kits for our two female teams, which they can wear in district and regional football competitions (the latter of which we are entering for the first time in many years). We will be also buy the teams some new equipment such as footballs, bibs and so on.

This is all a massive boost to the girls and I’m sure I can speak on their behalf when I say a huge thank you to the Old Camdenians. It really is appreciated.

50+ Club membership is £60 per year or a standing order of £5 per month. A number between 1 and 59 is selected and that is entered into a monthly draw which is determined by the first two numbers drawn in the National Lottery. Prizes are £100 (£200 in November) and £20 (£50 in November). For more information contact us here.

I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer holidays this year as I also have.

I have successfully passed my first year in university and I am really proud of myself  for enduring all the challenges that came my way, It’s very exciting to start another year and I cannot wait to learn new things and meet more interesting people.

I am actually writing this from Lisbon in Portugal as I am here on a well-deserved vacation to see family and friends. I’ve been having a blast here visiting a lot of beautiful places and relaxing beaches.

I am sending everyone lots of positivity during these times. Until next time!

Lucy White, one of the daughters of our distinguished late alumnus Robert Pinker, has sent us a picture that may stir some memories. She writes, “I found this photograph among the papers belonging to my late father – it is of the school prefects 1950 and carefully labelled on the back.”

George Ives adds, “I am pretty sure that this picture is of the Upper 6^th, because there are too many just to be perfects. Alan Morgan was the School Captain in 1950.  The Terry here is I am sure Terry England , a former regular at the Annual Dinner.”

A few weeks ago, on a sunny afternoon, I walked into our lifeboat station, hung up my spray-soaked lifejacket, and sat on a bench for a rest. And that’s when I thought about what you have done for volunteers like me.

An hour earlier, my pager had beeped and we launched to a 12-year-old girl swept off her feet and pulled out to sea while paddling at the beach. My focus when we were at sea was finding her, getting her aboard and then making sure that we all got back safe and sound on dry land. As we approached, I could see the look of terror in her eyes – waves were breaking over her. But I’m proud to say that she is alive today because she followed RNLI safety advice – floating like a starfish – and because we were able to rescue her before she became too cold and exhausted to stay afloat.

It was only when the rescue was over that I reflected on what makes it all possible: your support. After we had washed and refuelled the lifeboat and hung up our kit to dry, I took a moment. A moment to look around at the station, the lifeboat, the kit, my well-trained crew mates. A moment to think about the safety advice that gave young Mabel a fighting chance. None of this could have been possible without you and the strong, kind support that you have shown. That support feels even more special in the tough and uncertain time that we all face right now. A time when it costs so much more to buy essentials.

For the RNLI, those essentials include fuel to power the lifeboats, energy to power the stations, and replacement kit to power volunteers like me to the rescue. Because, even in difficult times, we’re determined to save every one we can.

So, on World Gratitude Day, and in a week when we said a sad farewell to our Patron of 70 years, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, this is simply a thank you. People ask why on earth we drop everything to save people we’ve never met, often in tough conditions. Conditions that will worsen as winter approaches. But the truth is that it’s a privilege. A privilege made possible by caring, loyal people. Thank you for being one of those people. Even though we might never meet face to face, I want you to know that we do think about you, and about what you do for us.

Thank you for being one of the crew, and for helping to save Mabel.

PS. We have made a short video featuring the 999 call that led to Mabel’s rescue, and interviews with her and her family that explain more about what happened. You can watch it here.

We have recently upgraded the Old Camdenians Club website to include an online payment processing facility. This allows you to make secure online payments for the following services – Annual lunch, 50+ club membership and miscellaneous donations to the club. The payments are all processed securely using our payment provider – Stripe. You can take advantage of the new online payment platform by visiting the website and selecting the service(s) that you wish to pay for – https://oldcamdenians.info/online-payments-portal/

The 113th AGM, followed by our Annual Lunch under the stewardship of Ann Tennant and her team, will be held on Friday 28th October 2022, at Beacon High School, London N7 0JG. Please let us know if you would like to attend via ‘Contact Us’. Also, if you are interested in attending an evening event during the year, please let us know and we will see if we can organise something for you.