OB Roger Raymond attended Bloxham School between 1920-28 and was an outstanding sportsman of his generation. He set many athletic records and won full colours in four different sports. He was also a member of the school choir and sergeant in the Officer Training Corps, rising to be both Head of Crake House and Captain of School.
His record of achievement was to continue in the business world. After a brief experience of the energy of the United States, he returned to England where he studied architecture at night school while selling houses by day. Still in his twenties, he started his own housing development company and enjoyed great success, becoming known as an innovator in the field. He later became Chairman of the London Master Builders Association.
Roger Malcolm Limited, early days
Away from work, Roger played a very active part in local church matters and politics, and was Chairman of Hendon Football Club during their rise to the pinnacle of the amateur game, hugely popular at the time.
Despite all his subsequent success he never forgot his Bloxham days and continued to be heavily involved in the life of the School, serving as Chairman of the Old Bloxhamist Society for 15 years, before becoming their Vice-President for a further 22 years, and as a member of the School Council for 31 years. He became Bloxham’s greatest benefactor, contributing to capital projects such as Raymond House, Raymond Field, the first Technology Centre and the creation of the Sixth Form club known as the Raymond Society. Subsequently many further projects including the Raymond Scholar Programme, the reimagined Raymond Technology Centre, the Library and the School’s IT network have received major support through his Charitable Trust under the guidance of his Old Bloxhamist brother, Peter.
Roger’s Trust has continued to support programmes worldwide of empowerment through education, opportunity, sport and ambition, as Bloxham itself had empowered him. It is no exaggeration to say that every day all Bloxham pupils and many others derive some benefit from the legacy of this grateful Old Bloxhamist.
Peter and Roger Raymond c 1981