Category: RCSA Trust

Posted on Annual Dinner, Careers, Events, News, RCSA Trust

RCSA double up with two sparkling alumni events on the same day!

The recent Great Exhibition Road Festival (GERF) weekend (June 5-7) saw a busy and enjoyable London visit for many RCS alumni! The highlight was the RCSU/RCSA joint Summer Dinner at the London Postal Museum. 130 RCS students and alumni got into their best outfits and gathered at the underground WC1 location of the London Postal Museum’s Mail Rail venue. This outstanding and atmospheric space had dining tables in amongst the museum exhibits and right next to the driverless, narrow gauge underground Mail Rail, The diners enjoyed a superb three-course meal and wine, followed by speeches and an award ceremony. The excellent key note speech was by RCS alumnus Jamie Alldridge who spoke passionately about his time at Imperial and offered insights and advice for current student wanting to make the most of their time at college and to be successful in their chosen careers. RCSU president Jack Swires then presented 12 students and alumni (pictured above) with various RCS colours awards.… Read more...

Posted on Around Campus, Events, News, RCSA Trust

Exploration Board Report Back Evening

The Exploration Board ‘Report Back Evening’ is a wonderful opportunity for our student expedition members to showcase their achievements. They will share with us their experiences from expeditions that took place during 2024 and 2025. Many of those students will, of course, have benefitted from your generosity via the RCSA Trust which financially supports these expeditions. There will be tales to tell, alongside some wonderful images, so we would be delighted if you were to join us on:

Wednesday 3rd December, 18.00-20.00
Royal School of Mines, Room 1.47,
South Kensington Campus,
London SW7 5HF

The presentations will be followed by an informal reception held at Eastside Bar, in Princes Gardens.

If you can, please let Ellie know, by Monday 1st December that you are able to attend by emailing e.rimmer@imperial.ac.uk or by telephoning +44 (0)20 7594 2416, along with any access requirements.

But if you can’t confirm, turn up unannounced. Room 1.47 is large, we’ll be sure to squeeze you in, and we’ll be very happy to see you.… Read more...

Posted on Around Campus, Events, News, RCSA Trust

RCSA Prize 2025

It was to be a wonderfully dutiful RCS Mathematician who topped the nominations for the prestigious 2025 ‘RCSA Prize‘, and we couldn’t be more pleased.

At a brief ceremony outside the Faculty Building on Commemoration Day, Professor Richard Craster, Dean of RCS (or Dean of FoNS if you want to be terribly modern), Mike Munroe, President of the RCSA, and Oscar Farrell, Secretary of the RCSA, shared the officiating duties and presented Ariff Jazlan Johan from Mathematics with his framed certificate and with a cheque for £300.

The occasion is captured in the photograph above and you can see our prize winner, Ariff Jazlan Johan, sandwiched between Mike Munroe, President of the RCSA, and Professor Richard Craster, Dean of the RCS.

Our members will recall that the RCSA Prize was instigated in 1997 and is awarded annually at Commemoration Day to a student “who has excelled academically and made a great all-round contribution to the College“ and Ariff certainly fits the requirements.… Read more...

Posted on Jezebel, News, RCSA Trust

RCSA helps the “bottom line” for Jez and RCS Motor Club!!

The RCSA continues on its mission to support all aspects of RCS student life at college and recently had an opportunity to support the RCS Motor Club directly on the bottom line!

The RCS motorised mascot, Jez, has attracted a lot of support and attention going back over the decades. To keep her on the road usually involves major items such as the engine, the wheels or more recently the radiator, but it had become apparent that the front bench seat cushion was not up to the job. It was worn thin, full of holes and no one could remember quite how old it was!

RCSMC president, Otto Pilbrow (pictured above being well supported) commented:
“we had been so focused on keeping Jez on the road that we had forgotten about issues such as driver comfort!!”

What a mess! The old driver’s cushion.

The RCSA stepped in and commissioned a tailor-made new cushion that has just been installed!… Read more...

Posted on News, RCSA Trust

Solo backpacking in Vestland, Norway

Kenny Louie, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

A 23-year-old Physics Masters student, Yaar Safra, has won the support of the RCSA Trust and of the IC Exploration Board for his 21 day solo expedition to the wilds of Norway.

His solo backpacking expedition in Vestland, Norway, took place between July 1st and July 21st, 2025 making use of Norway’s wild camping laws. This project was a three-week, self-supported hiking journey covering over 250 kilometres through Norway’s dramatic fjord and mountain landscapes, including Nærøyfjorden, Aurlandsfjorden, and Hardangerfjorden. 

Yaar sees this expedition as a personal challenge and a developmental opportunity. He is hoping to strengthen his self-reliance, navigation and survival skills, and heighten his sense of environmental responsibility. But, in a departure from the norm, he also plans to be creative in his documentation of the expedition. In addition to being a keen photographer, Yaar is accomplished in the art of ‘Plein Air’ sketching. An interesting twist inspired by his grandfather who, too, is a proficient artist.… Read more...

Posted on News, RCSA Trust

Bike-Packing expedition in Denmark and Norway 2025

Three scientists, a Physics PhD student, and two Biology Masters students have been supported by the RCSA Trust on their demanding Exploration-Board-approved expedition.

As you read this the three, Anna Tippett, Tatiana Dickins and Carolina Pestana, are part way through their 17-day expedition involving roughly 400km of cycling in Denmark and a further 750km in Norway. For those more comfortable in imperial units. the 1,150 kilometres of cycling is equivalent to about 780 miles.

An objective of this expedition is to minimise their carbon footprint. Cycling is intrinsically low-carbon, and air travel has been eschewed. The scientists will travel by train from London to Esbjerg in Denmark, before joining the North Sea Cycle Route to Hirtshals. The ferry will transfer them to Kristiansand in Norway where they will re-join the North Sea Cycle Route up to Bergen. Finally, trains via Oslo and Copenhagen will return the three safely back to St. Pancras.… Read more...

Posted on Jezebel, News, RCSA Trust

Where to See Jez: Summer 2025

As always, Jezebel and the RCS Motor Club have a packed schedule for this Summer of 2025.

But before we go into the details:

STOP PRESS: Help build enduring support for Jezebel and contribute something (anything you can) to the new Derek J. Toms Fund for Jezebel or ‘The Toms Fund’. Read more here….

And after that important digression, let’s get back to the summer programme……

The flagship summer event is, of course, the “Isle of Wight, Havenstreet Steam & Beer Festival” from 22nd August to 25th August 2025 (though Jez herself, being a star attraction, has to be around longer, perhaps a day or two either side).

Jezebel will form part of a fabulous collection of vintage transport, and there is the traditional fairground, live entertainment, and steam trains for you to enjoy. (and did we mention a beer festival?) You can find out more about the Isle of Wight Festival by clicking here….… Read more...

Posted on Jezebel, News, Projects & Campaigns, RCSA Trust

Announced: The Derek J. Toms Fund for Jezebel

Today, on his last day of office, Jack Swires, outgoing RCS Motor Club Chairman, added the finishing flourish to the Motor Club’s 70th Anniversary and announced The Derek J. Toms Fund for Jezebel or ‘The Toms Fund’ – an emergency fund, and a special-projects fund designed to support Jezebel and the RCS Motor Club.

It is structured as a new ‘restricted’ fund within the RCSA Trust, and named for Derek John Toms, the founder of the RCS Motor Club back in 1955. Members ‘of a certain vintage’ will remember that Derek was a chemist who was fully immersed in RCS and College life. He became a member of the ’22 Club in 1955 (Toms ’55), and married ‘Paddy’ (Mary Stella) Clarke, a Mathematician, who was RCSU Vice President. Stories are still told of Derek’s room in the Hostel which more closely resembled a garage than a bed/study room.… Read more...

Posted on Around Campus, Events, News, RCSA Trust

Goodbye again to MC Black… the one year anniversary

It was January 26th 2024, a year ago, that much missed MC Black passed away. We, in the RCS Association, now have our “MC Black – President’s Tankard” to remember him by. The College opted to remember MC by planting a commemorative tree in his name.

So, at 2:30pm on the 29th of January, a year and a few days after MC’s death, representatives of Imperial College, of the Imperial and RCS students Unions, of the RCS Association, the RCSA Trust, Imperial Boat Club, the Exploration Board, the Imperial Lodge and many other parts of College that MC touched throughout his long association, gathered in the ‘Secret Garden’ behind Northside.

Anne Barrett, Archivist & Corporate Record Manager, read a few words from Professor Bob Schroter, who had known MC during his student days, and Anne then went on give her own tribute to MC. Both of those pieces are reproduced here…..

… Read more...
Posted on Annual Dinner, Events, News, RCSA Trust

President’s Christmas Message

Dear Fellow RCS Alumni,

First of all, season’s greetings and hope all is good with you and your families as we come to the end of another year. This has been an amazing year for the RCSA with lots of good stuff going on that you will see in the content below and on our website and media feeds https://rcsa.org.uk/ but it is important to say right up front that the Association still has some major challenges ahead and we need more help from you, our alumni!

Our biggest challenge, I believe, is our membership! Thank you to those of you (in your hundreds) who are paid up members but there are literally tens of thousands of RCS alumni out there who are not members. What can we do about this? Firstly, please check that your membership is up to date and that direct debit payments have not expired to help us get an accurate list of up-to-date members.… Read more...