People/society news

Inter-esting tournament By Mark Gorman

On a beautiful sunny day in August, the SIAS 2013 fi ve-a-side tournament took place at Goals Wimbledon. With pitches booked, referees in place and an enthusiastic group of the actuarial community kitted up and ready to go, hopes were high for a successful tournament.

The event was split into group stages and then a knock-out competition. The group stages kicked off at a frenzied pace, with all teams keen to get a good start. Following this, a gulf began to emerge in class, ability and fi tness between the diff erent teams – with the author in particular displaying very few of these much-needed characteristics!

The knock-out competition followed after a much-needed rest period. The pace of this competition was notably more pedestrian as the

eff ects of the sun, fatigue and the previous night’s escapades came to the fore. That did not, however, detract from the quality of some of the football played.

GAD donations make a diff erence

By Demot Grenham As well as providing actuarial advice to the Rwandan Social Security Board (RSSB), the staff at the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) have recently donated clothing to the University Central Hospital of Kigali and to an orphanage in Burundi.

The children at the orphanage study for UK GSCEs at the King’s School, Burundi, and about a quarter go on to study A-levels. This is particularly impressive given that English is not widely spoken in Burundi.

The initiative came from RSSB actuary Laura Llewellyn-Jones (pictured with staff from the hospital), who asked Dermot Grenham and Joanne McDaid from GAD if they could bring an extra suitcase or two of clothes donated by GAD staff on their next trip. Having seen the poverty in Rwanda, and knowing about the situation in Burundi, they were very happy to help out. For details of the King’s School please visit:

bit.ly/1atrEHU

For details of the Burundi project, see

The four teams making it through to the semi-fi nals were PSG (Punter Southall), P-Dubz (PwC), Inter Greats (PwC) and RSA. Inter Greats and P-Dubz prevailed in what were hotly contested games, both winning by a single goal.

The all-PWC fi nal saw some skilful football played, with neither team willing to play in a defensive style – pleasing the onlookers. It was a tight game too, but Inter Greats closed out a much deserved 3-2 victory – living up to their team name. Many thanks to all the players and Goals Wimbledon for making the day such a success.

bit.ly/19QLqvV

Coasting to victory Walk raises £35,000 Charles Cowling, master of the Worshipful Company of Actuaries, and a group of friends and fellow actuaries successfully completed a charity walk from Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire to St Bees on the Cumbrian Coast. They fi nished the coast-to-coast walk made famous by Alfred Wainwright – albeit in the opposite direction to the traditional west-to east route. All in all, 15 walkers, varying in age from 11 to 69, completed the full two weeks with another 62 actuaries and friends joining the walk for one or more stages, all raising money for a number of very deserving charities.

In particular, nearly 40 colleagues from JLT joined Charles for two challenging stages – and some excellent team-building – in Yorkshire and Cumbria.

In between dramatic cliff walks at both Robin Hood’s Bay and St Bees, the intrepid actuaries enjoyed the delights of the Little Beck Wood Nature Reserve, the wild remoteness of the North York Moors, the demanding Cleveland Hills, the lovely Swaledale valley, the boggy Nine Standards Rigg over the Pennines and the spectacular views off ered by a number of Lakeland peaks. Kidsty Pike, Helvellyn (with the precipitous Striding Edge) and Haystacks, as well as the beauty of Haweswater, Ullswater and Ennerdale Water and the ‘secret valley’ of Nannycatch were also on route. Other delights included the steam trains on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and Settle-Carlisle Line, a chocolate factory, a slate mine, beautiful churches and castles, as well as numerous excellent pubs and hostelries, where many fi ne pints of ale were consumed.

No actuaries were injured or lost (permanently) during the walk, although some were attacked by an aggressive herd of cows and bullocks at one point, and several managed to go astray at various times during the two weeks – the benefi ts of GPS technology were particularly welcome on one summit as the clouds descended and all visibility was lost.

In general, the weather was excellent and the walkers had just one day aff ected by rain – and a couple of hours of drizzle.

After two weeks walking nearly 200 miles, climbing the equivalent height of Everest in the process, the party arrived at its fi nal destination. With a mixture of emotions, pebbles that had been carried faithfully across England from Robin Hood’s Bay were tossed into the sea at St Bees and the party adjourned for champagne celebrations. A great adventure had been completed, friendships made and cemented and, best of all, £35,000 raised for some excellent causes.

Phiatus award winner named By Derek Newton

Ronnie Sloan has been awarded the 2013 Phiatus Award for his exceptional contribution to charitable activities during the year. He was presented with the award by Charles Cowling, master of the Worshipful Company of Actuaries, at the Company’s dinner in July (see report in the October issue of The Actuary).

Ronnie’s award refl ects not just one but 30 years of charity-related activity as fund-raiser, organiser, administrator and donor, including: ● Running 33 marathons around the world between 1982 and 2003, dressed as a tartan superman and personally raising £225,000 in sponsorship for the Children 1st charity. ● Organising an Old Crocks rugby tournament between 1986 and 1997, and in 2008, raising £1,000 each year for The Murrayfi eld Centenary Fund for Injured Players.

● Chairing an appeal in 1991 that raised the £200,000 to restore Edinburgh Academical’s historic rugby club pavilion at Raeburn Place. ● Acting for 25 years as a trustee – and since 2009 as chairman – of Scottish Sports Aid Trust, a charity that has provided over £2m in grants to 4,000 Scottish youngsters in 35 diff erent sports. ● Raising £1,700 in 2012 by running the 15-mile Seven Hills of Edinburgh Challenge as a tartan superman (see The Actuary, August 2012).

When we last left Andrew (see The Actuary, September 2013) he was headed to Uganda for his third marathon. The Ugandan Bush Marathon is over 42km along dirt tracks littered with rocks and pot holes in an isolated rural setting on the outskirts of the town of Kiwoko.

For Andrew, Kiwoko was where it all began. He was so inspired after his visit to the Kiwoko hospital compound last year that he vowed to run 12 marathons in 12 months to raise money and awareness for The Isis Foundation. After the race, Andrew said: “This has been my toughest marathon so far, but it has been fantastic to come back to Kiwoko hospital. It has been a privilege to feel part of it and my friends at Kiwoko will forever hold a special place in my heart.”

Andrew’s next race was the Berlin marathon, one of the largest and fastest road races in the world, starting and fi nishing at the iconic Brandenburg Gate and passing a whole host of fascinating landmarks along the way. Andrew said: “Running under cool and sunny skies was great after my punishing summer races and the atmosphere was electric. The course was as fl at and forgiving as promised and the world record was smashed, much to the delight of the crowds.”

Ronnie has also supported the Faculty of Actuaries Charitable Trust, through which in 2009 he endowed the Sloan Prize.

But the award is not an epitaph to his charity work and on 29 September he ran the Loch Ness ‘Monster’ Marathon in support of Scottish Sports Aid and would welcome sponsorship. Visit www.justgiving.com/ronniesloan70

Andrew has just completed his fi fth marathon in the US and is making the most of the free massages, food and beer. The Hartford Marathon is well known for its scenery, with several miles run along the Connecticut, New England’s largest river, in Riverfront Park.

Andrew remains upbeat about his challenge. “Yoga has helped me keep any serious injuries at bay so far and I feel well prepared. Hopefully, I’ll rebound quickly enough to train between races, although I need to listen to my body and be cautious about running to exhaustion.” To donate, visit www.justgiving. com/ISIS12in12 and for updates visit www.12in12forisis.com Back where it all began Andrew O’Brien’s 12-in-12 marathon challenge: part three

Through the gate to success

Maria van Beek would like to say thank you to those at Legal & General, Friends Life and everyone else who supported her fi rst marathon in Berlin on 29 September, helping her to raise money for Arthritis Research UK. Maria fi nished the marathon in two hours and 45 minutes, behind the new world record of 2:03:23 set by Winston Kipsang. Winston’s advice to those who got closer to him at the after-run party that evening than during the race? “Train harder!”

Obituary

Monica Allanach

Died 14 September 2013, aged 92

Monica Allanach was blessed with many talents and she used them to the full to give outstanding service to the actuarial profession.

She was educated at Wimbledon High School and joined the Prudential Assurance Company in 1938 as an actuarial trainee. Women had been admitted to the Institute since 1920, but when Monica qualifi ed in 1951, the total number of female actuaries had only risen to 11. In 1970, she was appointed deputy actuary at the Prudential and became the fi rst woman to reach management level at the fi rm. Promotion to actuary came in 1974, a position Monica held until her retirement in 1981.

The need to encourage more women to join the profession was raised at the Institute’s AGM in 1953. Monica then initiated discussions with Pat Merriman and other female actuaries.

It was agreed that informal opportunities for female actuarial students to meet might be helpful. From this emerged the fi rst ‘Tea Party’ and such gatherings continued for 30 years. A lady actuaries’ dining society was also formed.

After being a tutor and then examiner for the Institute, Monica became the fi rst woman to be elected to Council (1968), later serving as honorary secretary and vice-president. All this was accompanied by assiduous work on numerous Institute committees and by service as chairman of the Legislation Committee of the Life Offi ces Association. Even after retiring from the Prudential, Monica was a member of the Worshipful Company of Actuaries and, in the footsteps of her grandfather, became a Freeman of the City of London in 1981.

Those who had the privilege of knowing Monica will remember her with respect and gratitude for her example of competence and thoroughness in her professional work and the kindness she showed to others. o at

Written by Derek Fellows

For a fuller version of this obituary, please visit bit.ly/1h7IiTL

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