Last week, a ‘FUSION OF FASHION AND DANCE’ took place at Oundle School over two nights, with pupils, including pupil model, Marieke van de Braak (17)  – who came straight from London Fashion Week to the Oundle Great Hall Catwalk – modelling and dancing for charity.

The Pete Postlethwaite Memorial Scholarship Fund will benefit from all money raised - approximately £7,000.

The show was staged by four pupils – Matilda Stanton (17), Josie Whitley (16), Olivia Sellers (17) and Isabella van Vredenburch (16) – whose friend, Lower Sixth Form pupil, Lily Postlethwaite (16) opened the shows by explaining how the £7,000 raised will support a talented budding actor through The Bristol Old Vic Drama School ( www.oldvic.ac.uk/ppf) that her father, Pete himself attended. Pete Postlethwaite was himself a recipient of a similar scholarship to the Bristol Old Vic.

Matilda, Josie, Olivia and Isabella commented, “Organising the show was an amazing experience that we will never forget; we had our highs and lows but in the end it all came together and we managed to produce an amazing show that raised lots of money for a charity which is very close to our hearts.”

All Oundle models wore clothes kindly lent by Nordic poetry ( www.nordicpoetry.com) and TRENDSWEATER (www.trendsweater) and specially designed t-shirts and sweatshirts by in-house School pupil designers, Illicit, which are now on sale with some profit going to the Pete Postlethwaite Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Lower Sixth Form pupil model, Marieke van de Braak (16) commented, “I started modelling just under a year ago and my first proper job was with ELLE UK magazine, which was published back in January (although the shoot was from the summer before). My plan is to model full-time during my gap year and then go to university in London and keep it as something I do in my spare time. It is a very changeable profession, so I think having a degree is a good plan.”

Over the weekend of 23/24 February, two teams of Oundle School pupils took part in round the clock 24 hour non-stop swims to raise money for Harrison’s Fund, a charity set up by former Oundle pupil Alex Smith to find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

The swim takes place every year for a full 24 hours straight through the night.

Alex’s six year old son Harrison is a charming, adorable boy who looks completely healthy on the outside but sadly inside he is struggling. By the time he is a teenager, Harrison will lose the ability to walk and ultimately he will lose all muscle function in his body. Children with Duchenne are unlikely to reach their early twenties and pass away due to heart or respiratory failure.

The charity’s goal is simple; to stop Duchenne or at least find a way to slow it down significantly.

Team 1 comprised – Oli Wood (16) and Jess Varley (17) who alternated 2 hrs on/2hrs off throughout the 24hr period.

Team 2 comprised – Emma Carr (18),Bruno Ngou (18) Ben Paice (17); Alexander Ward-Lilley (18); Ivo Videnov (18); Callum Smale (17); Arthur Sutton (18); Alice Poulter (16); Natasha Crawford (15); Lucy Ing (16), Chang Yun (17) and Eliza Burgess (17).

The group of 12 were split into groups with 2 swimmers in the pool at any one time during the duration of the 24 hr swim.

Emma commented, “We slept on crash mats in the corridor of the pool in sleeping bags whenever we could in between our swims. During the early morning, after only sleeping for about an hour someone would come to wake you up out of your cosy makeshift bed to dive into the freezing water, but after the first 2 lengths you completely forgot what time of day it was.”

The swims lasted 24 hours, starting at12.30pm on 23 February and finishing the following day at 12.30pm.

The two teams swam nearly 250km a staggering 5000 lengths of the pool and the equivalent of crossing the channel 71/2 times!

Emma added, “The event went swimmingly (no pun intended) well and I estimate that we will make over £2000 for Harrison’s Fund, but there are still people donating so we do not have a final total yet.”

 Bruno commented, “We chose Harrison’s Fund because DMD is a rare genetic disease and there is not a lot of funding for research. The hardest part of the 24 hour swim is probably not getting enough rest. I only slept for 3 hours in total. Before the swim, Alex sent us a picture of Harrison holding a piece of paper with “Thank you” written on it. I guess that is what kept us all going. I felt exhausted after the swim, but I also hope what we did can really help Harrison.”

The teams of swimmers hope that such a tough endurance challenge will inspire people to donate as much money as possible to their excellent causes; all donations, large or small will be greatly appreciated.

Alex commented, “What a fantastic event! I am so touched by the way that Oundle pupils have responded to my appeal. I hope to visit Oundle soon to let them know how the School has helped to ‘make time’ and move science forward.”

Anyone wishing to support the swimmers and donate can visit:

http://www.justgiving.com/oundle24hourswim2013

For more information about Harrison’s Fund visit:

http://www.harrisonsfund.com/

Pupil organiser, Ellie Taverner (18) commented, “I wanted to organise an event with a difference; a night that would impress Sixth formers whilst making a hefty profit. After six weeks of intense party planning including arranging a table plan which pleased two-hundred and fifty people and buying eighty aluminous balloons and canisters of helium online, the day arrived. Two hours before the opening, the sound system wouldn’t work, the projector didn’t have the necessary cords and the balloons were sagging and bursting in the tea-lights. However when the guests arrived wearing beautiful masks, new dresses and smart suits, everything fell into place.” 

Alex’s six year old son Harrison is a charming, adorable boy who looks completely healthy on the outside but sadly inside he is struggling. By the time he is a teenager, Harrison will lose the ability to walk and ultimately he will lose all muscle function in his body. Children with Duchenne are unlikely to reach their early twenties and pass away due to heart or respiratory failure.

The charity’s goal is simple; to stop Duchenne or at least find a way to slow it down significantly.

Ellie added, “For the very first time there may be a chance of a major breakthrough as scientists over the past few years have made significant steps in gene therapy and molecular medicine. Putting as much money as possible into the hands of the world’s best researchers is the mission of Harrison’s Fund’s and it was this challenge which I wanted to help achieve. I want to thank all the staff and pupils who helped to make the event a great success.”

Alex commented, “What a fantastic event! I am so touched by the way the pupils have responded to my appeal. I hope to visit Oundle in a year and let them know how the School has helped to ‘make time’ and move science forward.”

Press contact:
Liz Dillarstone
Publicity and Press Relations Officer
Oundle School
01832 277267
07810 788458
ed@oundleschool.org.uk

“We originally heard of  ‘Four Screws Loose’ at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival and were so pleased that they agreed to perform at our comedy evening” commented pupil Emma Carr.   “They did a variety of sketches from a ‘public school Big Brother’ to ‘Itunes News’ which included snippets of multiple songs making a story.  The event was really enjoyable and hilarious, lots of laughter……always what you want on a comedy night and over 400 pupils and teachers enjoyed the evening.   We were so pleased to be able to raise this sum to help those with burns and scars”.

This student-run project is part of Oundle School’s ‘Oundle Charity Venturers’ (OCV) Scheme designed to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation whilst raising money for charity. Through OCV, pupils learn to run a business, acquire management and team building skills and are involved in sales and marketing, preparing financial accounts and website design.

Head of Fundraising at The Katie Piper Foundation, Carol Borwick comments, “We’re so grateful to Oundle School for fundraising on our behalf and raising such a significant sum.   The money raised will help us make a positive difference to burns survivors through life-changing treatments and workshops”.

Launched in July 2010, The Katie Piper Foundation www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk is a registered charity which aims to make it easier for people to live with burns and scars by progressing extended rehabilitation and scar management for burns survivors, providing information on and access to non-surgical treatments for burns and scars, campaigning for consistent clinical care and developing a support network for people living with burns and scars.   The Foundation helps disfigured people to reconnect with their lives and their communities.

Donations can also be made at The Katie Piper Foundation website: http://www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk/donate-now/

HAGD is a wonderful opportunity for Oundle pupils to express their philanthropic tendencies and for visitors it is a really encouraging environment in which to try their hand at new sports and activities in a safe and familiar environment.

Nick Turnbull, Head of Community Action at Oundle School said:-

“It is lovely to see the faces of our guests light up at the prospect of sampling activities which many people take for granted. Their presence is like a breath of fresh air and our pupils are privileged to host them”

Some visitors make a bee-line for their favourite activity as soon as they arrive; the archery is always extremely popular and well supported. Others like to try their hand at karaoke, art or swimming.

Community Coordinator: Nick Turnbull

Website: www.oundleschool.org.uk

Trip organiser and History teacher, Ian Clark commented, “The trip aimed to help ease the pupils into life in Kenya, and through our links with Pembroke House School near Gilgil, we were able to spend our first two nights in fairly familiar surroundings. From then on though, we moved into more unusual sleeping environments, from open fronted thatched buildings with hippos on the lawn to camping in rain soaked forestry!”

The trip also aimed to give Oundle’s younger pupils a varied range of vignettes of life in Kenya, to allow them to begin to put together their own view of the country, and they saw a large number of facets of life in a short time – an English style prep school, a rural primary school with no electricity, a township orphanage, fair trade jewellery manufacture, and a range of animal experiences, from close-to giraffe encounters to elephant orphans.

Ian added, “Most importantly of all perhaps was continuing Oundle’s partnership with two institutions – Saidia House orphanage, and Kimbo Primary school. All the pupils and staff spent a day at each, and on each occasion, we took some of the Kenyan children to local game parks and conservancies, to show them the rich diversity and wealth of flora and fauna their country has on display and how it can help their country through harvesting the tourist’s dollar. Our pupils ate up every challenge we gave them – including a very high ropes course – and clearly fell in love with Kenya. We hope that this experimental trip will be the first of many such junior trips, which will allow our senior trips to branch off in newer directions. “

Second Form (Year 8) pupil Henry Sleight (13) commented, “At the Saidia orphanage we heard unbearably and unbelievably sad stories about each individual child which really taught us all a lesson. Such is the vital force and strength of their human might and dignity, they smiled, they laughed, they played and they appreciated life. They were so happy in spite of everything. We have plenty to learn from them. We took them gifts, but what they enjoyed most of all was our time together: playing on antiquated playground equipment contraptions which here would certainly be barred under ‘Health and Safety’. There, they were treasured possessions, a merry-go-round – a means to ‘fly like the wind’, irrespective of flakes of rust and a few paint chips.

We paired up with individuals. With my ‘buddies’, Kevin, and John, we wondered what we might see together – none of us had ever been to the Lake Nakuru National Park before. This anticipation and the game drive in the Rift Valley put us on a level footing as explorers, and cemented our friendships.

At Lake Nakuru we witnessed flocks of pelicans and flamingos alongside zebras! John filmed a 360 perspective of the activities. This was a source of great pride; the fact that these images, shot by him on our team video camera, would be shared and enjoyed by so many, a tangible record of our partnership.

At ‘Baboon Central’ – we noticed a baboon that was motionless for a while and then all of a sudden he whisked himself away to the edge of a precipice and flung himself on to a lone, bare branch set at 90 degrees into the rock! He then nonchalantly swung his way down the vertical cliff face at speed! Those images will live on in our shared memories.

It was fun to meet our buddies from Kimbo School – mine was Sam. Together we explored the Conservancy beside the Malewa Trust on an exciting safari.  We were privileged to see an abundance of wild life – Eland, Giraffe, Warthogs and even the very rare snake-stamping bird of prey: the Secretary Bird!

It’s a resounding ‘Asante sana’, ‘thank you’, to the friends we made, our teachers and the country of Kenya for sharing with us an unforgettable experience.”

Community Coordinator: Nick Turnbull

Website: www.oundleschool.org.uk

The match was organised by Head of Girls’ Rugby, Grace Harbage and the choice of charity, as in previous years was obvious: The Thommy Purbrook  General Scholarship Endowment Fund, in memory of keen rugby player, Thommy Purbrook. Thommy, an eighteen year old Upper Sixth Form boarding pupil at Oundle School tragically died from meningitis whilst on a School trip to St Petersburg in December 2008. The Scholarship was established by Thommy’s parents, Clive and Belinda, with the intention of it being awarded to a child who, like Thommy, would take full advantage of the academic and extra-curricular opportunities that Oundle can offer. The first recipient is now at the School, in Thommy’s old House, Sanderson.

The match gave a great deal of flowing rugby, and the crowd of over 500 were impressed by how seriously the game was taken and some of the crunching tackles. This year the teams of Laxton, Sanderson and Kirkeby versus Wyatt, Dryden and New House drew 5-5.

Grace commented, “Most of the girls involved in the match are squad players, who play rugby as their sport. After a lot of flattery and pleading with them to help us, the talented 1^st XV boys squad bravely agreed to coach the girls for 2 weeks prior to the match. Their invaluable guidance and skills thoroughly prepared us to play a good match!”

Noah Wood, Housemaster of Fisher House, kindly agreed to referee the match.

Girls who were not playing walked around the 1^st XV rugby pitch (Two Acre) collecting funds for the scholarship fund.

Grace added, “Events held at Oundle to raise money for the scholarship have always been a great success, and have contributed towards Thommy’s fund so far reaching over £350,000.  The annual match is a popular and entertaining way to increase the amount with supporters always being very generous, and we hope to have raised well over £500 yesterday.”

Rugby coach, Ian Clark commented, “The match was a tribute to the commitment of the girls, with some huge tackles and dogged defence. Both sides performed admirably, and thanks to the organisers and competitors for carrying on this important tradition.”

Thommy’s father, Clive Purbrook, commented, “As ever, a wonderful day both on and off the pitch, and the amount of money raised for Thommy’s fund is fantastic.  Belinda, Barney and myself are all very touched that the match played by the girls in Thommy’s memory has become so firmly entrenched in the Schools’ calendar, and is approached by the girls and everybody else who plays a part with such a fantastic spirit.  The quality of the rugby on display was also a testament to the girls’ talents.”

Headmaster, Charles Bush added, “This occasion is always a wonderful festival of girls’ rugby at Oundle, played in a carnival atmosphere, raising a huge amount for a very important charity.  It also celebrates the excellent state of girls’ rugby at Oundle which is so strong partly as a result of Thommy’s massive contribution to the growth of the game. “

If you would like to make a donation you can do this online at: http://society.oundleschool.org.uk/giving/index.php

View Girls Rugby Match 2012 Photos on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/65726258@N08/sets/72157627775254424/

Community Coordinator: Nick Turnbull

Website: www.oundleschool.org.uk

Team Dillarstone is hoping to raise in excess of £5,000 for Barnardo’s – the children’s charity which transforms the lives of vulnerable children across the UK through the work of its projects, its campaigning and its research expertise.

All three are training hard as 22 April 2012 gets closer but for Robert, the training is all part of living the dream:  “Although I’ve really wanted to do this for many years, I never thought it would happen for many reasons – I’ve never run a marathon before and didn’t know whether I’d be up to it at the age of 50, my boys may not have been into sport and fitness and, moreover, getting a place for the London marathon – let alone three places – even with charities can be very difficult.”

In addition to his training, Barny is revising hard for his A levels in the Summer.  Jake is in his first year at the University of Oxford where he is reading Economics and Management.

Team Dillarstone commented, “We’re really pleased to be running for Barnardo’s and thank everyone for the great support we’ve received so far. With everyone’s help we know we can exceed our target for this great charity.”

To find out more about Team Dillarstone’s progress and to support Rob, Jake and Barny’s efforts with a donation, go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/RobDillarstone.

For more information about Barnardo’s visit: www.barnardos.org.uk.

Community Coordinator: Nick Turnbull

Website: www.oundleschool.org.uk

In the run up to the 2012 Olympics, the Museum’s Theme Room will focus on “Sporting Oundle” with exhibits from various organisations within the town, including a variety of sports clubs including Tennis, Rowing, Golf, Epee, Bowls as well as exhibitions from Oundle and Prince William Schools.

The award winning, independently run Museum is situated in the old Courthouse on Mill Road and is wholly staffed by volunteers. The Museum is open from 3 March through to 25 November on Saturdays (11am-5pm), Sundays (2pm-5pm) and Bank Holidays (2pm-5pm) and for groups at other times by arrangement. Admission is FREE.

The Oundle boys have focussed on the three main sports which Oundle historically offered – Rowing, Rugby and Cricket and working with School Archivist, Stephen Forge and parent volunteer, Amanda Warwick, Charlie and Sam have produced 6 display boards with archive images and information along with a display cabinet of artefacts and film footage from the School dating back to 1912.

Sam commented, “While working on this project, I learnt a lot about Oundle’s sporting past and was astounded by how many former GB representatives came from Oundle School, which shows the strength of sport that the School has. Working on this project was very exhausting and sometimes frustrating at times, but looking at the end result, it was all worth it.”
Charlie added, “I found working on the project really insightful as I found out a lot about Oundle’s former sporting culture and how successful some Old Oundelians were in their chosen sports and how popular sports such as Rowing used to be.”
Archivist, Stephen Forge added, “The Oundle School Archive houses a huge collection of documentation and photographic images of the School and Town, as well as artefacts relating to their shared past. It is a particular pleasure when current pupils, as well as Old Oundelians and town residents, show interest and enthusiasm for local history and share our resources.”
John Hadman, Chairman of the Management Committee at Oundle Museum commented, “The Museum’s exhibition on Sporting Oundle has been considerably enhanced by the contribution made by Charlie and Samuel. They are to be congratulated on a really professional display. Their efforts underline the friendly cooperation that has always existed between the School and the Museum”

Headmaster, Charles Bush said, “It is a great opportunity in this Olympic year to celebrate Oundle School’s sporting heritage and past successes with the outstanding achievement by others in the town over the years.”

Other attractions at the Museum include an historic display about the town, a display for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the “History of Brewing in Oundle” including a pre-1825 model of the town’s Market Place.

Each year over 300 pupils from the School are involved in working with organisations in Oundle, its surrounding villages and as far afield as Peterborough, Wellingborough, Kettering and Corby. Activities include working at The Hope Project in Wellingborough, The Soup Kitchen and Peterborough Streets in Peterborough, Libraries in Oundle, Thrapston and Raunds along with schools in and around the area. Pupils also run a club for the elderly, ICT classes, special needs art classes and assist in the community with dry stone walling, at the local country park and Nene Valley Railway. Pupils host a bi-annual Have-a-go-day for PHAB and Gateway Club members along with pupils and their families from local special needs schools and sleep rough at St Basils in Birmingham to raise money and awareness of this charity.

Anyone interested in any of the activities mentioned or wanting to set up pupil visits please contact either Nick Turnbull or Liz Dillarstone on 01832 277267 or email ca@oundleschool.org.uk

Community Coordinator: Nick Turnbull

Website: www.oundleschool.org.uk