Voting is now open for the 2018 ON Society Elections!
Please find below statements from each of the candidates for the positions of President and Vice-President. You may only vote for one candidate for each position so choose carefully!
Voting closes at midnight on the 18th November 2018. Voting instructions will be emailed to you. If we do not have an email address for you and you wish to be involved, please do get in touch with your details.
Results will be announced by the 25th November via email and on the ON pages of the school website. The new President and Vice President will assume duties from midnight.
Statements from Candidates
Andrew Barnes (66-75) – Candidate for President
I was a pupil at Norwich School from the mid-60s to the mid-70s and my children both attended the School.
I became a solicitor at the start of the 80s and worked in Norwich as a partner of Howes Percival for nearly 30 years. I now run the Great Hospital in Bishopgate, opposite the Lower School, as its chief executive.
I am full of admiration for the role the ON Society has taken over the years and especially for the excellent leadership of Aiden Watts as its President.
I would be pleased to do my best to continue to develop the part the ON Society can play in the lives of everybody who has been at the School. My aim is that there will be something on offer of interest and relevance to all.
I see the ON Society as being the natural way by which ONs can keep an active connection with the School and with their past contemporaries. It also provides a valuable networking opportunity which has the potential to benefit not only ONs who are looking for skills but also current students at the School who seek links with employers and other connections to help them progress.
Matthew Charlton (80-89) – Candidate for President
Dear friends, I am extremely proud of my time spent at Norwich School and of my roots in the fine city. In my career I have been lucky enough to be CEO of some of the world’s best ad agencies. I’ve specialised in transforming brands, identifying and then unlocking their greater potential. It does take real energy, great ideas and relentless drive but I would be more than happy to invest that same spirit and effort into the ON Society.
I’ve increasingly grown to love the ON Society and see its potential. To me, being an ON should feel like being given a life time, 1st class, open return ticket to a special place in all our busy and cluttered lives. When I say place, it is not just a piece of geography in Norfolk but a place that is a “real” common ground between us all. A common ground frequented by old friends, new friends and friends that don’t even know yet they are going to be your friend. Young and old, male and female, all sharing one piece of common ground, called the ONs Society.
The fact is most of us are ONs for 60 or 70 years, much longer than any of us are actual pupils. I calculate there are upwards of 10,000 ONs in the world. These are great indicators of further potential.
The starting point, if I were to be elected, would be to work to use the platform of President to try and make every single ON feel more impassioned and more connected to each other in their post-pupil life than even they did at school. We all embark on rich and colourful journeys of our choosing after school and we can all use, as well as give, support and friendship to each other.
In a small way I’ve already started that job. I’ve have been very active in leading my own class of 89 into one of the most actively engaged year group in the ONs, (we have won, and drunk, the best attended year champagne prize 5 years in a row at the ON dinner). I’ve been lucky enough to be able to give several ONs a start in my chosen industry of advertising. Finally, I created the London ON Media Industry networking drinks which saw 50 ONs gather in London for a great evening.
As ON’s I believe we can build on the great work of past Presidents and the school to become a bigger, more prestigious and active Society and a valuable contributor to all our lives and to the School. Thank you for reading this and if you find yourself agreeing then please do vote for me.
Simon Martin (86-92) – Candidate for Vice-President
I grew up near Norwich, was at Town Close then Norwich School from 1986 to 1992. I’ve held leadership roles in digital business including Experian and currently Chief Commercial and Data Officer at Mumsnet. I live in North Oxfordshire with my wife and three children.
I’ve experienced the ON Society as a network of interesting people united by a love of the school and often all things Norwich! This isn’t a result of luck, it’s down to the team and school that makes it happen.
I feel lucky to have been at the school and would love to contribute. I’d aim to help grow participation through digital marketing experience, event formats and general enthusiasm for building the value for members.
Ben Steward (76-85) – Candidate for Vice-President
It seems as though a lifetime has passed since departing Norwich School in 1985 having started at the Lower School in Form 1.
I suspect for many ONs their relationship with the school is most distant during the immediate post university years when building careers and families, often in locations well away from Norfolk, has taken precedent. It was very much like that for me, having taken a degree in agriculture at Wye College, London University and then a route to qualification as a chartered surveyor while working away. A chance meeting and a job offer from Savills later, I returned to the City which I had missed almost as much as the visits to Carrow Road as a lifelong Norwich City fan.
Since 2007 I have been working as a business owner, initially in consultancy and now in strategic development land and I am a Trustee of the Norfolk Rivers Trust. During this time, I have been fortunate that my three sons have attended Norwich School from an early age, with the eldest now 20 and ON himself, the others 17 and 15, the burden is beginning to become a little easier! On a serious note, this has given me a proximity to the School and the opportunity to create a good relationship with a number of the staff, senior management team and development office which I hope would serve me well if elected.
That relationship has been crucial in managing the commitments of my middle son to rugby and his journey thought the Leicester Tigers academy process and most recently the England U18s. While I love watching games, when time allows, I still play hockey for Dereham on a Saturday and try to pursue my passion for countryside and watersports and in particular kitesurfing.
The ON Society
When a pupil leaves Norwich School, they automatically become an ON and a member of the ON Society. Membership is free, and the primary purpose of the Society is to foster communication and friendship amongst former pupils and with the school. It also assists the school by raising support in the form of funds and expertise from individuals willing to volunteer their time and services. The ON President and Vice President work closely with the staff in the Norwich School Development Team as they implement the ON programme of activities.
Role Description – President
The President is the figurehead of the ON Society and is responsible for representing the ONs. The President of the ON Society will be expected to:
- Be the first point of contact for any issues ONs may wish to raise with regard to the school and its operations, or the ON Society.
- To attend ON Society meetings - to be attended by the ON Society President, Vice President and the Norwich School Development Team (maximum of 4 meetings per annum).
- MC and give a short speech at the major ON events each year (ON Dinner and ON Day) and attend ON Match Day and London Drinks Reception.
- To provide general assistance to the Norwich School Development Team in fundraising.
- Attend, where possible, other significant ON and Norwich School events plus School Open Days.
- Provide a brief, annual report for the ON Magazine (approximately 250 to 300 words).
- Support and promote the ON membership and participation in school activities, events and fundraising campaigns
Role Description - Vice President
The Vice President plays a key role in supporting and assisting the President and standing in on occasions when the President is unable to perform his / her duties. The Vice President of the ON Society will be expected to:
- Attend ON Society meetings - to be attended by the ON Society President, Vice President and the Norwich School Development Team (maximum of 4 meetings per annum).
- Attend the 4 major ON events each year (ON London Drinks Party, ON Match Day, ON Annual Dinner and ON Day)
- Attend, where possible, other significant ON and Norwich School events plus School Open Days.
- Support and promote the ON membership and participation in school activities, events and fundraising campaigns.