03
OMNIA
Issue 07 Spring/Summer 2020
WELCOME...
FROM THE OCA PRESIDENT
WELCOME FROM THE HEADMASTER
I
t is with an enormous sense of pride in our community that we bring you this latest edition of Omnia. As with previous issues, the spotlight is cast on the difference that people within the Caterham School community are making on the world around us. In the last few months alone Caterhamians across the generations have shown that they are making their mark locally, nationally and internationally students are fully engaged in the School’s extensive partnerships programme; OC Will Moy was extensively called upon by the media for full facts throughout the general election campaign; 2010 leaver Jansen Zhao returned to school to give the MJS Christmas Science lecture on his work harnessing Quantum Information which is helping shape the future of global computing and our cover star OC Geoffrey Pidgeon was welcomed to No.10 Downing Street having been awarded the Légion d’Honneur for his work at Bletchley Park in WWII, which included laying the wireless networks to enable D-Day communications. One of the community’s achievements, which I am most proud of is that we welcomed two new pupils to the school as a result of the Inspiring Education bursary campaign, which we launched last year. Thank you for all the support you have given, and continue to give, to the Inspiring Education campaign. The enabling of education transforms lives – and not just of those immediate recipients but of all of us. I hope you enjoy this edition of Omnia. Ceri Jones Headmaster
In almost two years as your OCA President, one thing that has struck me is the almost continuous flow of good news and brave endeavours undertaken by Old Caterhamians of every generation and across so many spheres of influence. Whether in business, politics, sport or the creative arts, there is so much achieved by our community. This edition of Omnia is a product of this broad collection of good work and makes for inspiring reading. Despite spanning so many different disciplines, what binds all of our community’s stories together is a determination to achieve the best and make a positive change. We have seen that from our elder Old Caterhamians (not least from this edition’s cover star, and all of his generation) and also from our youngest Caterhamians whose determination to make a positive change has shone through in all the entries to the OCA Innovation Award, which saw its first winners ‘Planet Eco’ in 2019. A further common theme is the willingness to share experience and expertise in support of each other. Our regular Insight Evenings are proof of this support in action and if you haven’t already taken part in one, I encourage you to do so. Recent events have covered entrepreneurship, law and the media and lessons in resilience exampled by leading sports men and women – each event built around life lessons shared with each other. I am very proud that these events have been shortlisted for the Times Educational Supplement ‘Best Alumni Engagement’ award. Thank you to all of you who have supported and taken part in these events. Clive Furness OCA President
