Time to celebrate


A school anniversary is the ideal opportunity to reconnect with former pupils and ask for their support, says Jane Hughes


W


hether your school is approaching a tenth anniversary or a centenary, it’s worth


bringing out the bunting and making a fuss. Every school has a potential hinterland of hundreds of ex-pupils who would jump at the chance of reuniting with former classmates at a celebration event. Moreover, alumni – whether they were students 20, 40 or even 50 years ago – often feel a sense of gratitude and allegiance to their former school and could be at a point in life where they feel able to give something back. So capitalise on the opportunities for celebration and let your alumni know you need their support. For Nikki Wyman, assistant head


and former pupil (1967-73) at Engayne Primary School in Upminster, Essex, the school’s 60th anniversary presented a golden opportunity to reach out to alumni. ‘We realised after our 50th anniversary that we had missed the chance to reconnect with former pupils who might want to support us. As the 60th year approached, we had emails from ex-pupils and staff asking what we were doing to mark the occasion, so we decided to act.’ The result is Alumni 60 – an


ambitious fundraising project led by Nikki Wyman, with the support of other ex-pupils, including three teachers, a dinner lady and members o ofi ce and site sta. he plan is to create a legacy in the form of a learning-through-play garden. And, as the th intake egin their fi rst year at Engayne, the amount already


32 AUTUMN 2019 FundEd


raised through a DonateMySchool campaign has reached £2,500. ‘It’s about contacting people at the


right time and in the right way,’ says Nikki Wyman. ‘A lot of locals have fond memories of the school, but many of the older generation don’t use social media. We’ve approached residents’ associations, distributed leafl ets and put ads in the local paper, as well as using Facebook, emails and mailshots. That’s allowed us to gather support and memorabilia from across the generations, and we’ll be displaying the memorabilia at an alumni open evening to encourage people to reminisce.’ Two secondary schools that


held 60th anniversary events this autumn were Chosen Hill, an academy of 1,400 pupils in


Churchdown, Gloucestershire, and Imberhorne School (1,650 pupils) in East Grinstead, West Sussex. At Chosen Hill, the idea was to bring together alumni and current pupils and


parents at a celebration event that everyone would enjoy, says SBM Debbie Wardlaw, who worked alongside head of history Charlotte Fishlock to contact alumni and organise the event. ‘The PTA felt the


anniversary was a great opportunity to build future support for the school,’ she says. ‘We


Right: Alumni at the Imberhorne School 60th Anniversary event


started getting in touch with former students some months ago and put a 60th anniversary tab on the school website, with links to the event. We also created a dedicated page where alumni could post and share their photographs and stories, and a sponsorship section where they could register their support. We sold 500 tickets (at £3 each) for the event, and – even with children attending for free – we raised about £2,000. It was a lovely day and quite emotional at times to see people reconnecting with old friends. We had two ladies in their 60s who hadn’t met since school but who instantly recognised each other! The feedback has been very positive and we’ve built some important links for the future.’ Charlotte Fishlock concurs, noting


that Chosen Hill received emails rom alumni in locations as ar fl ung as Malaysia, who couldn’t make the event but were keen to help their former school. ‘I think it’s interesting for people to see how much the school has changed – from grammar to technical school to academy – and what has been achieved. We’re also able to share the successes of our past students to inspire our current intake and we’re developing a “wish list” to send to those who have asked how they can support us.’ At Imberhorne School, the


anniversary event entitled ‘Dancing through the Decades’ was very much aimed at reconnecting with alumni and marketed as a grand reunion. Staged in a marquee on the school playing fi elds, it attracted  ormer


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