AGM – February 2023
The ECF held its AGM on 28 February in London. About thirty-five people attended. Ann Lewis took the chair in place of ECF Chairman Elizabeth Cooke, who was recovering from a skiing accident.
The Annual Report and Accounts were adopted. Bohdan Svach (ECP graduate 2008) was elected Director following the resignation of Jakub Kohout (2006) as Director and Treasurer. Jakub was warmly thanked for his hard work.
The chair updated members on ECF events: the sponsored walk in October which netted £2,000 for the scholarship fund; the careers webinar on the arts held last year and the one on media planned for April; and the prospective garden party to be hosted by the Czech Ambassador in the summer. She also invited members to organise sponsored events of their own, and appealed for slots in UK organisations for ECP students on work experience.
The Headmaster, Dr Nigel Brown, reporting on recent development at the College, highlighted plans for the new school building and the need to decant temporarily into a local school; the prospects this offered to build a working relationship that could be developed further; and the fact that fewer students are now entering British universities, preferring to study in more affordable countries.
Two alumni guest speakers spoke about their careers after they left the College.
Jacob Gloser (2006), who graduated in economics from Aberdeen University, is currently designing software to counter money-laundering and spoke about the millions of transactions that are checked electronically in efforts to stem financial crime, and the constant search for better ways of using AI.
Martin Enev (2017) graduated in Psychology from Bath University and now teaches maths at Harris Academy St John’s Wood. He talked about the challenges of teaching in a London school, and his plans to try teaching in another country, possibly Spain, or anywhere with a beach close by!
Alfred Jasansky (2018) spoke briefly about a conference on Central and Eastern Europe being organised by a group of LSE students.
Then everyone had a drink and enjoyed catching up with old friends and colleagues!
Fundraising walk in London
On Saturday 15 October 2022, a group of ten walkers, including directors of the English College Foundation, College alumni, and friends and supporters of the Foundation undertook a fundraising walk through places in London with Czech and Czechoslovak historical and current connections. The funds will support a scholarship for a student at the English College from a disadvantaged background, one of several such scholarships that have been awarded up to now.
Starting at the two Kindertransport memorials at Liverpool Street station, they walked via the Bank of England and St Paul’s Cathedral to Bush House, where many Czechs and Slovaks worked for the BBC Czech and Slovak services during WWII and up to 2006 when the two services closed, to King’s College, where Czechoslovakia’s first President Masaryk, a sociologist, lectured about the problems of small nations, then to see the plaque dedicated to Czech and Slovak pilots on the memorial to the Battle of Britain on the Victoria Embankment, and the two houses on Grosvenor Place where Czechoslovak President Benes had his office during WWII and the Czechoslovak Embassy was located at that time, and then across Hyde Park to end the walk at the Czech Embassy. The walkers covered about 14km or nine miles. Those with enough strength left went for a beer and a meal afterwards at Bohemia House in West Hampstead. It has been a haunt for homesick Czechs and Slovaks since 1946! We very much hope that a large amount was raised for the scholarship, as of now donations are still coming in and can be made here.
Alumni drinks – October 2022
English College graduates going back to 2006 gathered at the Savoy Tap pub in London on 12 October for the annual alumni drinks party organised by the English College Foundation. This was an opportunity for alumni to meet old and make new friends among ECP graduates studying or working in the UK. A very convivial occasion, as always!
