From Our New President

Peter Lever (G 62-66)

Dear Old St Beghians,

I write to you as the new President of The St Beghian Society, having succeeded Dacre Watson, who has been our President for the past three years, undoubtedly the most difficult time in our history. We owe Dacre a great debt of gratitude for his dedication to the Society and for steering it through the difficulties of the school’s closure towards its rebirth while maintaining the continuity of the Society’s activities despite the many uncertainties and disappointments felt by members.

I must also pay tribute to David Lord, who will step down as Society Secretary at the end of this year, although he will continue in the roll as Society Treasurer. David has been ‘Mr St Bees’ for many years and his contribution to the school in so many ways has been without precedent. Pam Rumney will take on the role of Secretary and I would ask everyone to give her their support at all times. She has been a great servant of the OSBS for ten years and knows many of you personally. We are fortunate that she has agreed to step into David's shoes. She was invited to become a full member of the Society by Dacre Watson, a personal gesture, on OSB day this year in recognition of her services to the Society.

I left St Bees in 1966 after five fairly unmemorable and academically unsuccessful years at school, never once thinking that I would return to take on an active role in its reopening in 2018. In fact in December 1966 when I took the end of term train south to Preston for the last time, I had no intention of ever returning!

I learnt of the school’s closure in Mach 2015 while travelling in the Far East, and on returning to the UK visited St Bees assuming the worst - that the "Phoenix" would never rise again from the ashes. St Bees School lives in a time warp and on my return there little had changed in 50 years, even the wooden studies at the rear of Grindal were still standing, a testimony to their construction I guess! The presentation of the school buildings and the estate grounds was immaculate and apart from the absence of pupils, all seemed quite normal, in fact the school suggested a haven of tranquillity.

As I walked around on that sunny May day, memories flooded back of my days at school. My mind was alive with the names of staff and those of my contemporaries along with some of the unforgettable moments, good and bad; but particularly I reflected on the contributions made by so many individuals during the schools 430 year history. Was all this commitment to come to nothing? It was while walking around the school that I knew that I had in some way to make a contribution.

The St Beghian Society was formed to extend the St Bees family for the benefit of the school and pupils and to capture and nurture the spirit of the school within its pupils past and present. Alumni associations are unique to their schools and their value perhaps only recognised as one matures; however, if not nurtured and supported they will die and the treasures that they hold are then lost for ever.

On OSB day this year I was approached by an individual whom I had not spoken to or seen or even given a moment’s thought to for fifty five years. Stuart Withnall was a prefect on Grindal in 1963 and I was his ‘fag’. Time is a great leveller. At age fourteen I was very much Stuart's junior; on OSB day we met and chatted as friends. A memorable experience that embodies what our Society is all about and why it exists. It is our duty as members to ensure that our Society survives and develops to meet the future needs of the new school and that, specifically, ways are found to encourage the lady members of the Society, who represent thirty percent of our number.

The school will reopen in September 2018 as a joint venture partnership involving the St Bees School Charitable Trust and the Full Circle Education Group, which is based in Hong Kong.

The senior management team for the new school is appointed and in place at St Bees under the leadership of the new Headmaster Jeremy Hallows.

The Trustees of the school have agreed a thirty-three year renewable lease with Full Circle Group. The Charitable Trust will retain full ownership of the school estate while the school will be run by the joint venture company, The St Bees School Management Company Limited. The Old St Beghians retain ownership of Lonsdale Terrace, which will be leased to the joint venture company.

The board of the joint venture company will comprise three members from the St Bees Charitable Trust and three Full Circle Group members; however, 75% of the shares in the new company will be held by Full Circle Group, who will inject, over a period of five years, an estimated capital sum of £3.6m into the school. The St Bees School Charitable Trust will hold 25% of the equity and have a responsibility to provide an estimated £1.2m to the reopening capital requirement costs.

On Old St Beghians’ Day I launched The Edmund Grindal Society, The New School Foundation Appeal, to support the funding requirements of the Charitable Trust. I would urge you to consider giving your support to this appeal. This may be the last opportunity for OSB's to ensure that our school survives.

In the Full Circle Group the Trust has found an inspirational partner who will bring both financial resources and a unique international style of education to the school which will appeal to parents of children not only from the UK but from across the globe. 

The future for St Bees School is both challenging and exciting but it will, I believe, be a very successful one.

I look forward to meeting many old and new friends during my period as President and would ask you all to support the Society in what ever way you can at this critical time in the school’s history as it reopens.

Finally, my thanks to Tony Reeve our Bulletin Editor and dedicated Society supporter, whose outstanding contribution to the Society was recognised on OSB day when Dacre Watson asked him to become a full member, the first ex-master to be honoured in this way.

Peter G. Lever (G 62-66), President, St Beghian Society.

 

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The St Beghian Society    
St Bees School,    St Bees,    Cumbria,    CA27 0DS.

         Tel: (01946) 828093      Email: osb@stbeesschool.co.uk      Web: www.st-beghian-society.co.uk