Yesterday evening, in honour of the School’s 141st School birthday this week, we were delighted to welcome our alumni community back to FHS for our Old Girls’ AGM and Reunion Drinks. Former and current staff and alumnae from Class of 1956 all the way to Class of 2020 took to the Senior Hall to enjoy also sorts of treats including a hilarious memory board, a nostalgic ‘Recognise a friendly face?’ game, the opportunity to look back over fascinating FHS archive material, delicious canapés and drinks and, most importantly, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones while reminiscing fondly about time spent at FHS.

Another new and exciting aspect of last night’s event was the announcement of the first ever winners of our brand new Business Enterprise Award. In the Autumn Term, under the directive of Co-chairwomen Audrey Mitchell and Anne Cyron, the Alumni Association launched this award, offering up to £10,000 to support fellow Old Girls in Business and Entrepreneurship initiatives. Applications were considered from early-stage start-ups to established small businesses, with the process comprising two stages.

The calibre of applications so far has been truly excellent, reflecting the entrepreneurial zest of the FHS Community. Five alumnae were invited through to the second round of the application process, which involved submitting a business plan, further detailed financial information and reference checks before proceeding onto an interview with Alumni Association Committee members. The judges meticulously assessed each business proposition on a number of factors, especially sustainability and social responsibility, and eventually decided on three winners.

Headmistress Lucy Elphinstone addressed our alumnae, describing what a joy it is to be able to once again welcome them back to school and then announcing the award winners. Congratulations to Alice de Muller, founder of LOVE ALICE, a fashion retail brand championing pre-owned designer and vintage clothing, aiming to disrupt the landfill cycle, Natalija Jovasevic, founder of Ayllu Box which produces and sells sustainably packaged, locally sourced and plastic-free beauty and wellness goods and Nour Yakoob, founder of company Nuun which she established to bring together her love of design, fine patisserie and social justice, who each were awarded cash grants to help build their businesses. Nour also contributed an incredible 141st Birthday cake for the event, which was cut with gusto by Mrs Elphinstone!

Thank you so much to all the Old Girls and staff who attended the event, and to our wonderful Alumni Association for making it so special. You can see Mrs Elphinstone’s address and the winners’ acceptance speeches in the video below, alongside a selection of photos of the party.