DEVELOPMENT & ALUMNI NEWS

Lent 2011

Development & Alumni News one

Foundation DinnerOn a cold, blustery evening in late January, Brighton College escaped to Regency splendour for the annual Foundation Dinner. Hosted by Lord Skidelsky, Chairman of College Governors, the event at the Royal Pavilion celebrates the foundation of the College in 1845. Guests included the Deputy Mayor, prep school heads, academics, parents, former pupils and many friends and benefactors of the College. Following drinks in the Great Kitchen, guests enjoyed a guided tour of the magnificent rooms of the palace, before sitting down to enjoy a three-course dinner in the Banqueting Room. Teddy Truneh (L6th Leconfield) set the tone perfectly for the evening with his violin performance and later guests enjoyed three pieces by the College Barbershop group. The event was a great success, with the fantastic menu and stunning surroundings thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Welcome to the second instalment from the Development and Alumni Relations Office, bringing you the latest news, reporting on

this term’s events and updating you on the progress of our current projects.

Sports QuizAn enthralling evening of sporting knowledge and prowess was held earlier this month, in the form of the Brighton College Sports Quiz, with the name of the game being fun and fundraising. The Quiz launched a series of events in aid of the New Ground Pavilion, raising over £3,000. SportsAid were joint recipients of the proceeds; a charity who offer financial support to talented young sportsmen and women at the beginning of their careers. An electric atmosphere, enthusiastic audience and a wonderful rendition of Delilah from the 1st XV, all contributed to making the event a huge success. John Inverdale was especially magnificent as quizmaster, encouraging competitive spirit and berating those underhand or rather under-table tactics being employed by certain teams.

Particular mention should go to our winning teams who were awarded commemorative medals for their achievements, and of course the valiant losers who were awarded the coveted Wooden Spoon:

1st place: The Andy Gray & Richard Keys Appreciation Society (Team Captain: Director of Cricket, Alexia Walker)

2nd place: Hutch’s Heroes (Team Captain: Mark Hutchinson)

3rd place: Kevin O’ Brien (Team Captain: Nigel Lambe)

Wooden Spoon: Meet the Ruckers (Team Captain: Alex McKeown)

With grateful thanks for all raffle prizes donated for the Sports Quiz, and in particular to WJ King for providing such excellent and much enjoyed ales for the evening.

The New Ground Pavilion – progress update Following feedback on the initial design, and site surveys, the plans for the New Ground Pavilion have been refined, and a planning pre-application was submitted at the end of February; we hope to hear the outcome by the end of March. The pavilion will benefit not only Brighton College, but will see New Ground playing host to matches and tournaments from other groups, such as the Brighton Schools football team, and a newly formed community cricket team.

Further improvements to New Ground are now planned as part of the project; parking will be improved and the capacity increased; new fencing and entrance gates will enclose the site; and the ground will be improved with tree planting around the perimeter. Floodlighting will also be installed for the netball and tennis courts, greatly increasing the opportunities to use these facilities.

We aim to start building the pavilion later this year, and want to have completed the project in time for summer 2012, but this will depend upon raising the necessary funds. The whole project will cost £1.2 million, and the College Governors will contribute up to £600,000, so we need to raise a further £600,000. We would like to extend our thanks to all those within the College

community who have made donations so far, helping to make this fantastic resource a reality, which will make a huge difference to our pupils. There are opportunities to contribute in many ways, and at all levels, including exclusive naming

opportunities. All those who give will be invited to a special opening event at the new pavilion, bringing together friends and supporters in celebration of Brighton College sport.

two Development & Alumni News

Stuck On You Brighton College has teamed up with Stuck on You, supplier of personalised name labels, who will donate a proportion of all sales to Brighton College projects, the current one being the New Ground Pavilion. Stuck on You is famous worldwide for labels that stay stuck. Their iron-on clothing labels only take 15 seconds to apply, embedding into the weave of the fabric to ensure they stay put in hot washes and the tumble dryer over and over again. A huge array of colours and designs are available throughout the clothing label range, and personalised stickers in an assortment of sizes are perfect for naming folders, sports equipment and calculators. They are also microwave and dishwasher safe, so are great for lunchboxes and water bottles too.

Orders can be placed online, with deliveries made direct to your door, through our dedicated website: www.stuckonyou.biz/brightoncollege Organise your household, making lost property a thing of the past, whilst raising money for the school at the same time!

£1 a point We would like to thank Mrs Jackson, mother of Tabitha (L5th Chichester), who has donated £1 for every goal scored by the U15A netball team for whom Tabitha plays. Not only is this a fantastic contribution to the New Ground Pavilion Fund, but it also captures the spirit of the campaign perfectly and so we are very grateful to Mrs Jackson for instigating this fundraising initiative. If any other parents would like to join in and pledge a £1 for every point their son or daughter’s team scores in the summer term please contact the Development Office at development@brightoncollege.net or on 01273 704375.

The Development and Alumni Relations Office would like to thank the following members of the Brighton College community:

Chris Adams, Ian Braid, Trevor Grant, Simon Bellm, Georgie Howell, Roger Nicholson, Tim Herbert, Gary Browne, Steve Patten and Peter Woodhead.

This group of parents, staff and Old Brightonians have made up the Implementation Committee, giving up their time to offer their advice, experience and expertise to the New Ground Pavilion project. Their support for the College’s Vision for Sport has been invaluable in spreading the word about the project, encouraging support, sourcing raffle prizes for events and generally offering a sounding board for the progress of the project.

Gala Dinner at Lord’s in aid of Brighton College sport The Long Room, Lord’s Cricket Ground

Join us for an evening of splendour and fine dining at the home of cricket, in the company of sporting celebrities, in the year that will be remembered for England’s Ashes victory! This splendid black-tie event on Saturday 14th May will begin at 7.00pm with a champagne reception in the Long Room Bar, followed by a three course dinner with petits fours and coffee. Geoff Miller, Chairman of the England Cricket Selectors, promises to engage and entertain as guest speaker and we will be holding an exclusive auction with an array of fabulous lots, which will be unveiled to the College community in the Summer term, so watch this space for our exciting and rare items and experiences!

Tables of ten are available to purchase for £1,750 and individual tickets are £175 each. With almost half of our tables now sold, however, this is a hot ticket not to be missed, so register your interest now to avoid disappointment. To book a table or for further information, please contact Deborah Rao at development@brightoncollege.net or on 01273 704375.

Business brainstormThe second Brighton College Business Club took place on Thursday 10th March offering a business networking evening for parents, former pupils and local business people. The guest speaker was local entrepreneur Ed Wray who gave a most interesting insight into his appearance on Dragons’ Den and the subsequent success of his business, BarbeSkew. The next event is being held on Thursday 16th June in the Cafe de Paris from 7.00 – 9.00pm and all are very welcome to attend.

BCAD emerges from the desert The first Brighton College International School has begun to emerge from the desert. Teams of plumbers, masons and electricians are working day and night to ensure that the Abu Dhabi School will be open on time in September this year. The opportunity to experience a Brighton College education in the Emirates has caught the imagination of the capital, and the school looks set to be oversubscribed on launch with any profit generated being invested back into the College in Kemp Town.

Development & Alumni News three

Woolton QuadWork on the latest development on the College campus, the Woolton Building, is now well under way. This is the latest addition to the Woolton Quad, named after Lord Woolton who was Minister of Food and Reconstruction during the Second World War and College President in the early 1960s. Earlier this month the roof was added to the new building, making the site watertight as work now starts on the listed elevation of Abraham House. Owing to the demise of ROK, a new London based contractor called Primus who have an outstanding background within the construction industry, have taken on the project and the new site management team are keen for the project to progress as fast as possible.

The building will provide resources for the whole school, including a new health centre and the chaplaincy. A large social space which will include an internet café will be especially valuable for the boarding community, providing a place for boys and girls from all houses to meet in the evening. In addition to the internal space, the outdoor area will be improved to incorporate outdoor seating and a performance area. We look forward to this wonderful resource being available in late September 2011.

Foundation ScholarshipsThe Kingsford Scholarship Fund continues to make an incredible impact on the lives of pupils from Beckton, East London, who could otherwise be facing a very different reality. Since the inception of the scheme in 2007, over £111,000 has been donated by individuals, in addition to ongoing support from HSBC. We could never have anticipated that the support for the scheme would be so strong and that the level of generosity would be this great.

We are thrilled to report, therefore, that thanks to the kindness of an Old Brightonian, Ellis Goodman CBE (H 1951-53), from September 2011 we will be able to offer the same opportunities to local pupils. The Foundation Scholarships will provide two free sixth form places each year to local teenagers with outstanding academic potential, who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Foundation Scholarships were originally the initiative of former Head Master, Bill Blackshaw back in the 1970s, but were superceded by the Assisted Places Scheme. Under the latest programme Brighton College has partnered with Patcham High School to offer their pupils the chance of an exceptional Brighton College education. Pupils attended interviews this term and completed entrance tests, to vie for one of these much sought after places. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Goodman for making this scheme possible, as we know it will make a huge difference to the lives of these young people. We look forward to announcing our two new Scholars next term!

An evening of splendourOver 600 parents and friends descended on the Theatre Royal last month to experience a superb cross section of the College’s performing talent. From chamber music to Chorus Line and barbershop to Victorian theatre, the audience were immersed in all things theatrical.

The evening also provided the perfect opportunity to showcase the plans for the new Music School, which will enable us to bring teaching, practice and performance together at the very heart of the College. The three-storey Music School will provide valuable practice rooms, a library, an ICT room, a recording suite and a 50-seat recital room within which to host some of our many performances. We also plan to utilise a roof terrace for drinks receptions in the summer months, looking out across the Home Ground. Our pupils will benefit from rehearsal and performance space specifically designed to nurture musical talent, as well as state of the art technology that will bring their music making up to the minute.

Following an architectural competition, Eric Parry Architects have been appointed to design this impressive building on the College landscape; a facility within which to celebrate our accomplished musicians. We are in the planning stages at the moment and hope that work will commence on the project in the summer of next year, although this will be dependent on raising the necessary funds to help us realise our vision.

This term we welcomed our new Alumni Relations Officer, Rebecca Findlay, who previously worked at Cancer Research Campaign, The Royal Horticultural Society and various advertising agencies. We’ll be drawing on her vast experience in marketing, writing and managing membership. Rebecca is on the Committee of the Brighton College Family Society and her son, Leif, is currently in the Pre-Prep school:

“Well here I am, approximately eight weeks in to all things Old Brightonian. Everyone at the OBA has been wonderfully supportive and there are certainly lots of ideas and enthusiasm for putting together more events, benefits and networking opportunities for your enjoyment. A few of these include a Breakfast Business Club in the city, a London branch of the OBs with quarterly drinks, an annual lecture, decade reunions (one of which is in the pipeline at the moment for the 1990s decade leavers) and much, much more. I am keen to get our regional clubs off the ground too, to enable OBs to meet up all around the UK and indeed abroad.

Of course, having such a wonderful sports department and such talented sportsmen and women here at the College, we are also hoping to get more OB clubs going or at least re-invigorated – in the form of Netball, Cricket, Tennis and perhaps, since we are at the coast, a spot of sailing.

If you have enthusiasm for any of these, or more, please do contact me with your ideas. I am here at the College daily, between 9.00am and 1.00pm and can be contacted at rfindlay@brightoncollege.net or on 01273 704250.”

5th May Pioneers Lunch for the over 60s, 24 St George’s Restaurant, Kemp Town

14th May Gala Dinner at Lord’s Cricket Ground

26th May Head Master’s Garden Party for donors and supporters, Brighton College

23rd June Brighton College 1st XI vs. MCC cricket match

We have been thrilled to make contact with so many OBs over recent weeks; we raised a toast to school days past at the London Drinks; we enjoyed catching up with students at the Oxbridge Dinner at Balliol College, Oxford, with a fantastic turn out of past pupils; we reminisced in the luxury of the Army and Navy Club with former members of the OBA Committee at the Vice Presidents’ Lunch; a small contingent represented OBs valiantly at the Sports Quiz hosted by John Inverdale; and we dined in the sumptuous surroundings of The Lotos Club with US-based OBs at the New York Dinner. As we approach the summer months, we look forward to welcoming more visitors to our office and continuing to reconnect with OBs from around the world.

News from an OB Ed Wells (C/S 1993-98), Ollie Wells (C/S 1995-00) and two other crew members have entered the Allum Cup 2011, a rowing race consisting of a 3,100 mile crossing of the Indian Ocean. Over 2,700 people have climbed Mount Everest, over 200 rowing boats have crossed the Atlantic Ocean, 12 people have walked on the moon, but just 11 rowing boats have crossed the Indian Ocean. The crew will depart Geraldton, Western Australia on 17th April 2011 with the aim of reaching Mauritius in less than 68 days, 19 hours and 42 minutes, which is the current world record for a fours boat.

The crew are raising funds for the Mark Evison Foundation and three further charities; Light Dragoons Charitable Trust, Access Sport and Compassion UK.

Throughout the crossing the crew will also be undertaking physical and cognitive testing under the guidance of Cambridge Cognition whilst also working alongside the National Oceanography Centre completing climate change research.

On their return, Ed and Ollie have offered up their time to speak to sixth form

pupils about their experience and, hopefully, about the feeling of crossing the Indian Ocean. To read more about their campaign and the rigorous training involved, please see www.indianocean3100.com for more information.

Old Brightonians

Oxbridge Dinner Rebecca Findlay London Drinks

four Development & Alumni News

CONTACT US We are always delighted to hear from friends of the College, whether they be parents, pupils, staff, Old Brightonians, or simply an individual with an interest in supporting the school.

Our office is based opposite the Strength & Conditioning Base, adjacent to the Café de Paris, and was formerly the Lower School Office.

Development & Alumni Relations Office

Brighton College, Eastern Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 0AL

T: 01273 704375E: development@brightoncollege.netW: www.brightoncollege.org.uk/senior-development.asp

Debra Chalmers - Development DirectorRachel Savage - Development OfficerDeborah Rao - Development AssistantRebecca Findlay - Alumni Relations Officer

Over a year ago, the College invited current parents to assist in mentoring the tailor-made Entrepreneurship Programme for the Sixth Form and we were overwhelmed by the number of parents and Old Brightonians offering to be involved. Following the final of the Entrepreneurship Competition at the end of Michaelmas term, which saw the houses battle it out in a Dragons’ Den style competition to pitch their new and innovative products to a panel of judges, the real work now begins for the winning teams as the talk is no longer about ideas and business plans, but patents, trademarks and limited companies.

Hampden put a huge amount of effort into designing and making a remarkable prototype for their product “Cool20”; a stand-alone water dispenser for chilled/filtered water, from which you could fill your half litre recycled plastic mineral water bottle for 50p. The boys had wanted to buy a patent with the prize money as the cost of manufacture was prohibitive at £100,000, but unfortunately the idea is not new and so they are now considering what else they could do with the money.

A true innovation from Ryle, the “Tournisafe”, identified an important gap in the market for an antiseptic tourniquet that would reduce the incidence of infections such as MRSA in hospitals and in the field. Ryle are currently in the process of applying for a patent.

Williams’ product “Cachecash” was a bra pocket that attaches to the strap of a bra. It is a fashion forward product that solves the ever present problem of where to store your cash and cards when on the move. They plan to use a range of fabric choices to suit their target market; 13-30 year old women. They are looking at co-branded opportunities with organisations such as Time Out, Smirnoff Ice, festivals, clubs and gyms. They are in the process of registering the name as a trademark and forming a limited company before commencing manufacture

We would like to thank all those who have helped the programme so far and would urge anyone else that could offer help and expertise to our budding entrepreneurs to please contact Sally Woodmansey on swoodmansey@brightoncollege.net

Development & Alumni News five

Brighton College Family Society The Family Society creates a community around the school for the benefit of parents and pupils alike, forging links between the three schools at lively events run by and for parents, bringing together friends new and old. Events so far this year have included the annual Welcome BBQ for new parents, held on a blissfully sunny September evening; the welcome reception at the intimate Christmas Eve Midnight Mass in the chapel; a lively Cheese and Wine Tasting evening; and the ever popular Burns Supper and Ceilidh in January.

All events are run by volunteers. We have a fantastic and dedicated committee made up of parent representatives from all 15 years in the school. Of course, from time to time a committee member has to resign because of other commitments so we are always happy to welcome new parents to the Society. If you feel that you have the time and energy to help out please contact us at bcfs@brightoncollege.net.

“The Family Society is a delightful way to get to know the school, and provides occasions large and small where we can get together to celebrate our wonderful College community. The committee is a fun, supportive forum and I really enjoy working with them to create great events for everyone to enjoy.”

Niki Cannon, Lady Chair, The Family Society

Our next event is the vintage themed party; Putting on the Blitz!

Shaken or stirred? Either way, the swing band will get you in the mood to celebrate at The Family Society’s Summer Party on Saturday 21st May. With its 1940s theme, we will be celebrating all things vintage, so pull out the old 78s, your best zoot suit and prepare to Chattanooga Choo Choo. Tickets will be on sale next term for £40 and more details will follow in the College newsletters.

Upcoming events…

Summer Party 21st May 2011

Welcome BBQ 2nd September 2011

Burns Supper & Ceilidh January 2012

Pupil innovations