From the headmaster

This inviting building is an invaluable asset for Fettes and 

it simply would not have materialised without generous 

gifts from parents, past and present, and Old Fettesians 

(OFs). I am deeply grateful to everyone who supported 

this vision.

Now that the Spens Building is complete, we are 

focussing our fundraising on increasing philanthropic 

support towards bursary provision, securing £1 million 

to restore and refurbish the Pavilion and increasing 

unrestricted gifts (where donors entrust Foundation 

Trustees to direct support to where the College needs it 

most). Our “at a glance” results for 2015-16 on pages 10 

and 11 are very encouraging in that they show the appetite 

for supporting these priorities. I would like to take this 

opportunity to add my own thanks to all the generous 

donors to the Fettes Foundation this year.

Fundraising aside, the Development Team continues  

to work closely with the Old Fettesian Association  

(OFA), in particular the OFA Committee and Regional 

Co-ordinators and Fettes College staff, to create, support 

and manage opportunities for OFs to engage with each 

other and with the College. I am indebted to everyone 

who gives up their time to support OF events all over the 

UK and across the globe. OFs received their first ‘new 

look’ OF Newsletter last summer and in October over 220 

OFs gathered for a very jovial Commemoration Weekend 

at the College. More details of how OFs can keep in touch 

and join in can be found on pages 22 and 23. 

My thanks also go to the many people in the Fettes 

Community who support the Fettes Career Partnership 

Programme. In 2015-16 we ran successful business 

networking events in Edinburgh and London and 

continued our support of careers education at Fettes 

with help from across our community. I hope you enjoy 

reading more about this on pages 24 and 25.

I feel so very fortunate to be a part of this wonderful 

Fettes Community. I would encourage you to get involved 

when you can, in whatever way you can, to help Fettes 

College continue to flourish! 

Nicola Pickavance

Director of Development

“Seeing the 

Upper Sixth 

space is a real 

incentive to for 

us to keep going 

and working 

hard in Art. We 

can’t wait to 

study Art at  

A Level or IB.”

Pupil

Art Studio in the Salvesen Art School

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Wherever Fettesians end up studying or working, they can 

count on a warm welcome from the Fettes Community. 

From Argentina to Australia, from South Africa to 

Singapore, in Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong and in the 

US, members of the Fettes Community have gathered 

together socially during 2015-16.

We are indebted to those members of the Fettes 

Community who have given up their time to organise 

events for Old Fettesians, current and past parents and 

other friends of Fettes College around the world.

Support from the United States

Our US fundraising is greatly supported by the Trustees 

of The Friends of Fettes College Inc (FFC Inc.) and we are 

tremendously grateful to them for all they do.

Established in 1998, FFC Inc. is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3)  

non-profit organisation based in Massachusetts. Donations 

made to FFC Inc. are tax-deductible to the fullest extent 

under law. In 2015-16, donations to FFC Inc. were made in 

support of bursary provision at Fettes and we are deeply 

grateful to everyone who contributed. In this special year 

we are asking the US Community to join with the rest of the 

Fettes Community to support The Spens’ Bursary Fund.

FFC Inc. Trustees support is invaluable to us for 

fundraising, planning events and assisting with our 

careers programme. 

FFC Inc. Trustees

Richard Blackett (Ki 1969-1974)

Alison Brown (Ca 1973-1975)

Nicholas Burnett (CE 1973-1975)

Sandy Causey (CE-SH 1968-1972)

Graham Cole (Ca 1961-1962) (President)

Isla Fletcher (CW 2004-2008)

Davidson Gordon (Gl 1957-1962) (Secretary)

Rupert Hammond-Chambers (JS-Gl 1979-1986)

Louise Linton (Ar 1995-1998)

Gregor Maclennan (Ki 2003-2008)

Arthur Page

Jones Pharr (Ca 1995-1996)

Markos Symeonides (Ki 1993-1997)

OUR GLOBAL FAMILY 

Fettes College is blessed with a dynamic and varied community of pupils, Old 

Fettesians, current and past parents and staff and friends from all over the world.  

It is this global family that makes Fettes such a vibrant and unique institution.

20  

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This year FFC Inc.’s Annual New York Dinner will 

take place on 28th April 2017 in the Yale Club. We are 

delighted that Michael and Debbie Spens will be joining 

Trustees for Dinner in this their final year at Fettes.

Everyone is welcome, so if you happen to be in New 

York on that date and would like to attend, please 

email 

[e-mail]

 to arrange for further 

details to be sent to you.

If you are studying in the US, Trustees of FFC Inc. would 

be delighted to give you support and advice during 

your time in the States. If you would like to find out 

more, please contact 

[e-mail]

 and 

we can facilitate these connections. 

Trustees in the US are also keen to expand their events 

programme. If you would like to get involved please 

email 

[e-mail]

 and we will happily 

put you in touch with them.

Ian Mackenzie Sim (Ca 1956-1960)

Very sadly, one our FFC Inc. Trustees, Ian Sim  

(Ca 1956-1960) pictured here in his 1st XV photo, passed 

away at the end of October last year. Our deepest 

sympathies go out to his wife Hope. Ian, a Trustee since 

2011, supported FFC Inc. in engagement and fundraising 

efforts for a long time. In recent years, during his illness, 

he took more of a back seat but enjoyed receiving 

updates from FFC Inc. President Graham Cole.

After Fettes, Ian attended Amherst College in 

Massachusetts and graduated in 1964. He served in the 

United States Army from 1967 to 1970. In 1978, Ian started 

the Amherst Textile Mills NYC and from 1990 until 2010 he 

was Director of Marketing for Standard Oil of Connecticut. 

He promoted rugby in the US at various functions and 

was one of the first graduates of Fettes to attend College 

in the United States. Many Fettesians have since followed 

in his footsteps. Ian shall be greatly missed by his fellow 

FFC Inc. Trustees and his many friends in the Fettes 

Community.

Get involved

Debbie Spens and Nicola Pickavance were delighted to 

join FFC Inc. Trustees for their AGM in New York last April. 

Following the AGM, members of our US Community 

gathered together for the FFC Inc. Annual New York 

Dinner at the Yale Club which culminated in a rousing 

chorus of Floreas Fettesia! 

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