What an extraordinary weekend it has been! Old Malvernians and Ellerslie Old Girls returned to Malvern College to celebrate the founders and benefactors of Malvern College at our annual Commemoration Weekend, held this year on Friday 15th – Sunday 17th March. A packed programme was in store, with over 150 alumni attending with their guests.
The weekend started with a 10 Year Reunion for the Class of 2014 on Friday evening. Over 50 OMs from across the globe reunited, exchanging tales of the last decade and reliving cherished memories from their school days. Teachers Sarah Angus, Penny Bijl, Chey Hooper-West, Jen Major, Justin Major (8.86-91), Fiona Packham and Keith Packham, along with Malvernian Society staff, warmly welcomed alumni for a fantastic evening of fun and nostalgia, with drinks and a pizza van.
Saturday morning commenced with the Annual General Meeting of Malvern College and the Malvernian Society, extending an open invitation to all Old Malvernians. The AGM provided a platform to reflect on the College’s achievements over the past year and share exciting plans for its future.
OMs had the chance to journey back in time during a poignant Commemoration Chapel service, in which the Headmaster gave the formal Act of Commemoration took place. The entire College community attended, and OMs will be pleased to know a rousing rendition of Jerusalem was sung!
Commemoration guests then joined Malvern College staff for a celebratory lunch, with speeches from Keith Metcalfe, Headmaster and Tim Straker, Chairman of the Malvernian Society. Chapel Prefect, Shuaichu Pan, spoke enthusiastically about his time at Malvern and his transformative journey at Malvern.
The afternoon was filled with sports matches between OMs and Malvern College pupils. Football, hockey, netball, rifle shooting and squash were all played with gusto, giving OMs the chance to play again at their alma mater and pupils the experience to improve their skills against more experienced players. Additionally, Commemoration guests also received guided tours of the College, with visits to the impressive IB Art exhibition and the Memorial Library to hear the exciting plans to transform it into a new Sixth Form Centre for pupils. A delicious match tea followed.
A new addition for this year was a welcome dinner for our ‘soon-to-be’ OMs, which saw Upper Sixth pupils learning more about the Malvernian Society’s global network, the clubs and societies available to them, the events and reunions they will be invited to in the future, and to see the extensive range of OM merchandise available for sale. We were delighted to welcome so many of the OM clubs and societies to the event, giving pupils an invaluable opportunity to engage with club representatives and discuss the sports and hobbies they are enthusiastic about. They had a fantastic time, and we look forward to officially welcoming them to the Malvernian Society when they leave the College in June.
Commemoration culminated in the annual Ledbury Run, a gruelling 12km cross-country run from Ledbury to the College, in which current pupils and OMs took part. (Read about this year’s 136th Ledbury Run.)
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us at the weekend – we hope you enjoyed it and look forward to welcoming you back to Malvern College in the near future.
