Some time back I was cogitating on how I might give something back to my old school at Colchester.
I have been a donor to Exeter University and St. Catherine's College, Oxford over the past 20 years where I studied. Strangely, the Open University, where I read Modern Art & Architecture for six years whilst trying to hold down a job, a marriage and playing for Bedford and England, hasn't yet approached its alumni for help.
Anyway, I had two wonderful years in the sixth form at RGS where I captained rugby and athletics and was a senior prefect. I collected full colours for rugby, athletics, hockey and tennis and house colours for these four sports plus swimming and cricket. As we were allowed to put the letters of our house colours across the breast pocket mine read: CHARTS. It's a great shame that my academic record at school was so miserable - an A level (History: Grade B) and six O levels. I retook one A level (self taught) and passed Geography with a glowing Grade D (in our day A level pass grades were A-E). As I have said to the current head teacher on occasions, the dramatic improvement in results would have meant I would not have been accepted into the sixth form (Years 12 & 13) had I been applying at any time over the past 20 years! I might have worked a bit harder on my studies and less on my sport......
So dear reader, if you have reached this far, there were seven applicants from my old school for my travel award worth £500 (I have agreed to do it for ten years):
Jamie Moore
The Arts & Tennis in Holland and Switzerland
Eleanor Harris and Alex Newell
The Arts across eight European cities
Harriet Leigh
Portrait Photography whilst travelling across northern and Central Europe
Olivia Daw and Amber Mansfield
South East Asia for 67 days: the award would enable them to take in Vietnam
George Jones
Studying French & Surfing north of Biarritz
and
Rebecca Lynne
Studying Palliative Care & Aids in Tanzania
I interviewed all the students with Ken Jenkinson, the head teacher. Five of the seven had prepared either a power point or a short written explanation of what they wanted the money for which was very impressive.
All of them had been working to raise funding with a couple having worked in cafes and bars for over a year.
In the end I decided to up the scholarship fund so that Rebecca could go to Tanzania and Olivia and Amber could not only take in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand but also Vietnam. They were delighted. I shall enjoy reading their blogs whilst they are away.