Speech Day 2016

SPEECH DAY 2016

On Friday 1^st July, we were delighted to welcome Mrs Sue Sollis and Mrs Debbie Edmondson, Trustees of the Tracy Sollis Leukaemia Trust to act as Guest Speakers at this year’s Speech Day. 

Following Dr Evan’s speech, which focused upon the many highlights of what has been another exceptionally busy and successful year, members of the Clarinet Ensemble provided a beautiful interlude with a rendition of Mozart’s Divertimento No. 2 and Henry Mancini’s ‘Moon River’.  Chairman of Governors, Mr Butcher, then invited Sue Sollis to address the packed audience of prize winners, their families, dignitaries, prize donors and staff.

Before presenting prizes to the 100 students who were present, Mrs Sollis spoke movingly about her daughter Tracy, who was a pupil at Prince Henry’s from 1992-95 before losing her courageous battle with leukaemia, and the way in which she determined that, in line with Tracy’s wishes, some good must come from this tragedy.  Accordingly, supported by numerous friends, supporters and well-wishers Sue set about raising funds for research into leukaemia, including sponsored parachute jumps and swims, despite her fear of heights and, at the time she made the commitment, being unable to swim!  To date, hundreds of thousands of pounds have been raised in Tracy’s memory and the Tracy Sollis Leukaemia Trust has been able to make a significant contribution to finding new treatments for this disease.
 

Debbie Edmondson was Tracy’s best friend at school, and she too spoke about the impact that her friendship with Tracy had made on her life.  She made a great connection with our prize winners, reflecting that she had sat where they were 20 years ago, never dreaming that one day she would be standing on the same stage as a guest speaker.  She even brought the book she had been awarded with her as evidence, and offered her experience as proof that all of our current students have the potential to succeed and to achieve things which may seem unimaginable at the moment.

Having had the privilege of hearing from two such inspirational speakers, it was with real pleasure that a cheque for £1,400 was handed over to Sue Sollis by representatives of the school’s Interact group, as a result of various fundraising activities that have been undertaken at Prince Henry’s during the past year.