Welcome To all Our Lady’s Convent School Alumni Dear fellow alumni, Welcome once more to our Pelican magazine for the OLCS Alumni. On my retirement from the staff at Our Lady’s Convent School in 2009, I joined what was then a Past Pupil Association. In those days, the Association met in the Convent House and were entertained to lunches and film evenings by Sister Shelagh and Sister Celine. With the building of the new Convent house and the transfer of the Grade 2 listed building to the school, opportunities for these sorts of activities changed. It was agreed that all former staff could be included in the Association - hence the Past Pupils and Staff Association (PPSA) was formed. Fortunately, three members of the old Committee agreed to remain, and we were able to recruit other former staff and students to form the new Committee and remain active. The new Committee held events each year, afternoon teas, dinners in the redesigned refectory, and attracted a wide range of past pupils and staff to the events. All the work was carried out by the Committee, a mammoth task. With the school joining the Loughborough Schools Foundation in 2015, we were immediately provided with huge support from the Development Office, especially by Natalie Savage
who also happens to be one of our past pupils. As a Committee, we agreed to retain the OLCS Alumni Association rather than try to merge at that time with the alumni groups from the other Schools, as we felt our association with the Convent past pupils would be lost in a large organisation, so our current OLCS Alumni Association was formed. We have continued to hold events with the Development Office communicating with our members and it is thanks to all their work that we are able to send an annual newsletter out to you, our members. I have decided that it is time to hand over the role of Chair to one of the younger members of the team. I wish Grace all the best in her task and look forward to seeing the OLCS Alumni Association and Amherst grow from strength to strength until such times as all the alumni groups join together within the Foundation. After 35 years of involvement, the school and its students have become a huge part of my life - I’m sure that I shall keep in touch in some way, as I leave the role in good hands. Mary Hopkins
Outgoing Chair of OLCS Alumni Committee and Former Staff
It is an absolute privilege to be taking over as Chair of the OLCS Alumni Association Committee and I wish to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to Mary for the incredible leadership she has provided over the last 12 years. Mary has worked tirelessly to ensure the Association has continued even during hard times when numbers dwindled and our existence was brought into question. Even though she moved to Yorkshire before taking on the Chair position, she still drove down to join us for meetings and was always present at events. We are so lucky to have had such a devoted and supportive Chair and I hope to continue Mary’s wonderful work with pride and dedication. I joined the OLCS Alumni Committee more than 10 years ago and have seen it change and grow over the years. One of the first events I attended was a wonderful family friendly event held on the lawn which I do hope we will be able to replicate in the future. We are incredibly lucky to have the support of the Development Office and I am very much looking forward to working with them closely to provide our alumni with every opportunity to engage with others in our community. Grace Hutchinson
New Chair of OLCS Alumni Committee (Class of 2005)
Welcome to our new Director of Development We are excited to welcome LauraJane Ryves as our new Director of Development at Loughborough Schools Foundation. Laura-Jane has nine years’ experience in higher education, working in development and alumni relations, and has delivered university-wide engagement and fundraising campaigns at The University of East Anglia, Loughborough University, King’s College London and The University of Kent. Laura-Jane is responsible for schoolwide campaigns, alumni engagement and events, alongside philanthropic donations and benefits. Laura-Jane said, “I’m looking forward to developing a culture of lifelong meaningful relationships and offering more opportunities for alumni to become involved in their School today. Alumni are our greatest ambassadors, and we are extremely grateful to those who act as inspirational role models to current pupils and fellow alumni by sharing their experiences on the journey through school and life beyond.”
“Helping to transform lives through education is one of the reasons why I have chosen a career in philanthropy and alumni engagement. By welcoming girls and boys from all backgrounds into our Schools, our whole community benefits from fresh perspectives, diverse viewpoints, curiosity and challenge.” “When I was at secondary school, we lost contact with my dad and my mum was unable to afford school fees for me and my younger brother. At the time, mum was working as a nurse in the operating theatre earning around £17,000 a year. With no bursary provision available, I had to change schools and leave my friends, sports clubs and societies behind at the end of Year 9. The school I ended up in was dubbed as the ‘worst in England’ because of a litany of dreadful exam results, poor basic skills and scores of children bunking off every day. My brother had a very different experience. His school had a bursary programme and this support helped pave the way to his future.”
“Speaking with alumni, it is clear that the support they were given has had a profound impact that has remained with them, long after their school years. I am humbled that so many alumni choose to give back and transform lives by creating bursaries for today’s pupils. In the last year, our donor community helped 25 pupils experiencing financial hardship caused by the pandemic and raised a further £47,120 to support bursary places. I am proud to make my own personal monthly donation in support of bursaries and know that I am helping bring young people, like my brother, to achieve their full potential.” Laura-Jane Ryves Director of Development GET IN TOUCH Contact Laura-Jane for an exploratory conversation about how you can get involved with your school today: L.ryves@lsf.org / 01509 638922 ext: 5301
Winter 2021
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