Connecting community and celebrating achievements

It has been great in the last week or so to have a number of events bringing together OWs, parents and students under the umbrella of Whitgift For All. Last Friday, a hundred or so joined us at the Kia Oval for an evening’s (Surrey) cricket, though it has to be said that for some OWs, particularly a number of reunited Whitgift cricket teams of the past, chatting and renewing friendships took pride of place over the cricket!

This Saturday, members of the Founder’s Circle, major donors to WFA, came together for the annual garden party, this year held indoors (though the sun did begin to make an appearance late in the day!). Professor Michael Proudfoot OW, former governor and President of the Founder’s Circle, spoke movingly about how Whitgift transformed his life, and we were able, excitingly, to announce that the first two boys funded by WFA will start at the School in September. Given the relative youth of our development office and indeed fundraising, this is a wonderful achievement. 

It comes as Philanthropy Week starts, during which boys will be engaged in fundraising across a range of charities and activities, and which has resulted, since we started this two years ago, in some really significant funds - and more importantly awareness - being raised. 

With internal exams behind us, there is a lot else to lift the spirits between now and the end of term. Anyone peeping in to Big School will have had a glimpse of yet another superb set design, for A Tale of Two Cities. Don’t tell the Director of Drama, who is not the greatest fan of musical theatre, but the set has a definite ‘Les Miserables’ feel to it. I am sure it will be great, and I look forward to meeting many of you there.