The new January term saw Ely College students take to the stage in their version of the B-moviesque dark comedy 'The Little Shop of Horrors'. With audiences laughing and applauding the energised and talented company, these students laid on an impressive array of musical delights with familiar hits like 'Somewhere That's Green' and 'Feed Me Seymour', as well as a tantalising tango!

This was their second whole school musical, following on from the huge success of last year's 'School of Rock' production. The three sold out nights on the 19th, 20th and 21st January, showcased the musical and technical talents of all ages. As well as the incredible actors on stage, the cast were support by dedicated and amazing student-led teams of lighting and sound designers, costume, prop makers and hair and make-up artists.

Mr Warburton, Principal at Ely College commented: "I was so proud to see the culmination of months of rehearsal.  The quality of the show was of the highest order and the professionalism of the stage management gave the impression we were sat in the west end and not Needham’s Hall. We are so blessed to have students with a desire to perform, and a large staff group who love to give them the opportunities and time to put on shows of this calibre.  The whole of the community can and should be very proud of The Little Shop of Horrors 2023."

  

Director and Music curriculum lead, Jonathan Newsome said ‘The level of performance from each and every student was quite extraordinary and a proud moment for all those involved in working with the performers from page to stage. Their commitment to rehearsals throughout the term shone through.  Everyone has worked tremendously hard to create this show and it has been worthwhile."

Early on the decision was made to hire in the set. After a dedicated fundraising effort by the students themselves, this considerable investment in the staging, spurred on the cast who took to the floor impressively in full costume and truly immersed themselves in the character for that moment under the spotlight!

  

Joseph Chapman and Jade Mearns carried the audience along in 1960's nostalgia as they performed classic tunes from the blockbuster musical. James Wallman was the soulful voice of the dreaded Audrey II. The orchestra pit band played the hits and demonstrated the musical talents of our Bishop Laney Sixth Form musicians Paddy Bennett and Joe Cousins.  Both the student cast and crew came on stage to take a bow after the wonderfully effervescent finale medley.

Director and Drama curriculum lead, Catherine Seymour commented: "The most satisfying element of this show was witnessing the development of the students during the process. For some, this was their first production whether on the stage or behind the scenes in the stage management team, as costume designers, or as sound or lighting technicians.  The students had an incredible time working as a team during rehearsals and their performances were outstanding.  Thank you to everyone who came to see the show and supported us”.

 

In partnership with the Isle of Ely Rowing Club (IOERC), Ely College is pleased to announce that it has been successful in securing just under three thousand pounds of funding to continue and extend the reach of its successful rowing programmes.

Building on the successes of the last three years which has seen over 250 students ‘take up the oars’, this award will not only give more student the chance to experience rowing for the first time on our stunning local waterways, but also establish new programmes and partnerships. No longer just a taster, they hope to incorporate more competitive aspects as well as Holiday Camps, a Post-16 intensive course and a summertime Trust wide rowing regatta.

“This successful bid will allow us to extend our reach further” commented Jason Coe, Assistant Principal at Ely College. “With a view to developing competency and longer term engagement, we’ll welcome our Bishop Laney Sixth Form students to join us, with the potential for them to become youth leaders.”

“Working across Meridian Trust, we hope to extend our ‘Chance to Row’ programme to more schools in the region. We already have strong links with The Boat Race Company, the university teams and East Anglia Youth Rowing; the latter also being successful in this round of Love Rowing grant bids. We look forward to teaming up with them and sharing good practice.”

Love Rowing, the charitable foundation for British Rowing, announced funding for 25 projects across the UK, with a focus of bringing more people into the sport of rowing. Sally Corander from Love Rowing commented: “… this year we are supporting more projects than ever before! These funded initiatives will provide young people from low income household families, ethnically diverse community groups and people with disabilities the opportunities to learn to row and enjoy the benefits the sport brings.”  Love Rowing received a record number of very strong applications for the grant round which made the review process extremely difficult.

  

Jason Coe also commented on behalf of the College and IOERC: “Both myself and Richard Maxey are delighted to have secured this further funding to broaden opportunities and exposure to rowing across East Cambs. Love Rowing’s support will enable us to give a diverse range of students a chance to engage in a sport not only that has competitive pathways but undoubtably brings about social, emotional and mental wellbeing benefits. Whilst the college programme continues to grow, this bid allows us to share our experience across our wider community, something crucial to all of us at Ely College.”

 

 

Parents, teachers and friends of Ely College, part of Meridian Trust, hosted over 40 stallholders at its Christmas Market on Thursday 24th November, raising over £2,500 for school resources.

 

Organisers were overwhelmed by the generosity of the many parents and carers who have donated items for the raffle, tombola and bottle stalls at the event, which was the first of its kind since Covid.

Bev Saddington, Chair of the Parent Teacher Friend Association (PTFA) of Ely College said “We were incredibly well supported by local businesses who bolstered our grand raffle and tombola. Prizes included tickets to see Michael Ball at Ely Cathedral and many vouchers for various local restaurants and coffee shops.”

  

Simon Warburton, Principal of Ely College commented “What a wonderful evening! I’d like to express my heartfelt thanks to the PTFA for their amazing efforts in bringing this event to life. I know how much work went on behind the scenes and I’m in awe of their relentless commitment to supporting our college community”

Bev added “Despite the poor weather, we still had an amazing turnout. It was lovely to see the college ‘jam-packed’ with so many from the community enjoying the festive atmosphere. Huge thanks to our PTFA for their hard work; as well as the stallholders, local businesses and, of course, our parents.”

The evening raised over £2,500 which will be used to support the students’ learning.

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Ely College student Bryony Brodie who not only attended the England Schools U15 1st round trials, which is a great accomplishment in itself; but was ALSO successful and made the next round squad!!!!

She has been picked to represent South East ESFA U15 team in November for the next round as they play the South West. With her sights set on the English Schools' Football Association 'England Schools Team' we'll be following her progress, but so far what an AMAZING achievement!!! #excellence #PLEDGES

The girls in attendance were from Charlton, MK Dons, London City Lionesses, Tottenham, Essex RTC & Arsenal. The trial was 3 x 30 min match. Bryony played left back & x2 LW and assisted on an only goal. When she was in defence the score was 0-0 for a well played strong match. WELL DONE BRYONY!

On Wednesday 21^st September, Ely College welcomed representatives from both Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Clubs and The Boat Race Company (BRCL) for a day of workshops, competitive training exercises and inspiring conversation.

The College, which is part of Meridian Trust, prides itself on extending the boundaries of learning. Principal of Ely College, Simon Warburton said “our vision is to provide an education that’s inspiring and equips students with the skills they need to succeed beyond the classroom and today has been a perfect example of that.”

Mr Coe said “I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to offer this opportunity to our students and I’d like to thank everyone who’s been involved in making today happen. I’m also delighted that our ongoing partnership with local rowing club, Isle of Ely is proving so successful. Over 180 students so far, have been able to try rowing, thanks to this partnership. Rowing is a sport that most students wouldn’t have ever considered before, so it’s a wonderful opportunity.”

As part of the day, student athletes from Oxford and Cambridge Boat Clubs ran interactive workshops, covering topics, such as achieving a balance between academia and sport and lessons to be learned from success and failure.

Alannah Burdess is a Classics Undergraduate at Oxford University and a Cox for the University Boat Club. “It’s fantastic that students at Ely College are being introduced to rowing at a relatively early age. My advice to them? Keep going and most importantly, remember to have fun. Even at a competitive level, we always try to have fun. Being active every day and working towards a common goal with the squad has undoubtedly had a positive effect on all aspects of my life, so it’s great to be able to share my rowing journey with these students and hopefully inspire them to find a passion for the sport”

The Boat Race Bursary, funded by Gemini has been awarded to the college, enabling Assistant Principal, Jason Coe and his team to immerse students in a sport which has historically been perceived as financially, physically and even mentally inaccessible to most.

Furthermore, thanks to a partnering programme with the local rowing club, Isle of Ely, students have been able to access regular expert coaching and use rowing equipment from the club.

Athletes included Cam Spiers, CUBC (Goldie 2021, 2022)

Elena von Mueller CUBC (Blondie 2021, 2022)

Julia Lindsay – OUWBC Student Athlete (Blue Boat 2021, 2022)

Alannah Burdess - OUBC

Siobhan Cassidy, Board Member of The Boat Race Company Limited and stroke seat of the winning Cambridge Blue Boat 1995 said:

“The Boat Race Bursary, funded by Gemini, is delighted to support Ely College Rowing Club under Jason Coe’s inspirational leadership. The collaboration between Isle of Ely Rowing Club, Ely College and the British rowing community makes this project incredibly special.

“We founded the Bursary to drive projects just like this one. We believe that sport can build a better future for all. We support coaches, leaders and experts in the heart of their local communities to open our sport up to young people who may have never considered rowing before. We would like to thank Gemini for funding this valuable work.

“Oxford and Cambridge athletes swapped stories with the Ely College rowers about their shared experiences both in and out of the boat. We came away from today feeling inspired. It reminded us of how we started out on our own rowing journeys and how far that experience has brought us, together. We look forward to sharing the water with this new generation of junior rowers.”

 

A spokesperson for Gemini said:

“The projects we have chosen to sponsor provide life-changing opportunities to make sport and rowing both inclusive and accessible to young people who would otherwise be excluded. The popularity of the sport has grown tremendously over the years, and we are excited to help grow the sport further by bringing it to a more diverse and inclusive audience.”

Ely played host to the 2021 Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race, due to concerns over social distancing amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This was the first time the iconic race had taken place outside of London since the Second World War and this lasting partnership shows the legacy of this event in inspiring a new generation of rowers in Ely.

To find out more about Ely College, please visit: www.elycollege.com.

 

Photo Captions:

1. Student Athletes, Boat Club Company & Ely College Staff
2. Cam Spiers – student athlete for CUBC talks to Ely students about his rowing journey
3. Alannah Burdess – Student Athlete for OUBC, overseeing the Erg race
4. Group photo of all involved in the day