CANFORD COMMUNITY

Development Director Rowena Gaston provides an update

It has been ‘all systems go’ in the Development office this year and we’ve been so delighted to be able to welcome OCs back to Canford for numerous events. The classes of ’81, ’82, ’91, ’92, ’00, ’01 and ’02 were invited for their reunion lunches as we strove to catch up on our 10-year gettogethers. We also finally managed to succeed in holding the

Leavers’ Ball for the class of ’20 and ’21. We planned and put this event together three times in the last 12 months before it finally came to fruition, fulfilling the promise we made back in the summer of 2020. Many schools had given up and moved on, but it was a delight to finally see these OCs reunited and able to celebrate their time at Canford alongside their parents. After two years missed, and some disappointing service from our original venue, we hosted

OC London Drinks at Pont De La Tour in May, on a glorious evening in the shadow of Tower

Bridge. It was a lovely, relaxed atmosphere and great to see so many OCs attending from the class of 1953 right through to 2022.

Ball ‘20 and ’21

OC London drinks Pont De La Tour pictured (l-r) are 2012 leavers: Giselle Yonace, Rob Bell, Charlotte Barker, Mike Wilson, Toby Russell, Ali Watt, Olivia Bracken, Hattie Whillans 1981-1982 reunion

We have supported the various Friends groups with their work and events. The Friends of Canford School (FCS) and Music (FCM) have enjoyed a full programme with help from honorary OCs Keith Hay and Andrew Powell, running the history and arboretum tours respectively. While those who attend are predominantly parents, we also welcome OCs to all Friends events, and it was particularly nice to see Peter Montagu Williams (SH50) on the Arboretum tour with his son Jeremy. Peter had helped to plant the Avenue of Trees during his time as a Canford pupil.

Cheering on Canford’s First VIII at Henley Royal Regatta this summer

For the first time in two years, the House Regatta was hosted on another beautiful summer’s afternoon. The Friends of Canford Rowing (FCR) put on a Pimm’s tent and medals were presented by Olympic Champion Heather Stanning’s father, OC Timothy Stanning (B61). They both attended the Boat Club Dinner, and we were treated to an excellent afterdinner speech from Heather. The first VIII qualified for Henley Royal Regatta and it was good to see many Canford blazers attending the FCR lunch reception.

The Martin Marriott Foundation

The Martin Marriott Foundation is continuing to support bursaries for pupils who would otherwise be in no position to afford a Canford education but are incredibly deserving, gain tremendously from their experience and in turn give so much back to the School community. Support for the Foundation gradually increases year on year and our recipients are extremely grateful. Some of our youngest OCs took part in a telethon in December and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our donors for your incredible support including OCs who took the time to have a conversation with our callers and who also supported the Foundation. There is still significant work to do, and we would very much like to help more pupils. If you would like to get involved or receive more information, please contact Rowena Gaston rjg@canford.com Your alumni platform – Canford Global Connect – goes from strength to strength. All leavers are encouraged to join, and we have almost 100% uptake. It’s a great way to find and connect with fellow OCs for social and business purposes. I hope you enjoy the regular Digests which Rachael Daniel compiles, highlighting OC news as we receive it to keep you updated in a timely manner. Don’t forget to share your news by either posting directly or emailing us community@canford.com

Welcoming our new editor

I would like to mention OC Joanna Ashwick (F92), our new magazine editor. It has been a real pleasure working with Joanna to put this new-look OC magazine together. It is particularly nice to have an Old Canfordian as our editor and I very much hope that you will enjoy reading this edition. I would also like to register my thanks to our former editor John Newth who worked with us for 10 years. Please do let us know what you think of this edition and don’t forget to share your news with us.

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