A Special Award and Lasting Legacy

Posted on 6th July 2023 by Jeremy Turner

At our Annual Rewards Evening last Thursday it was a real privilege to welcome two very special visitors to see the inaugural presentation of the Jamie Rugg Memorial Trophy for the Most Inspiring Sports Achievement.

During the evening we reflected on the concept of legacy and the legacy we, as educationalists and parents and carers, leave in our children’s lives. The Jamie Rugg Memorial Trophy epitomises this concept as it is linked to the legacy of a very talented former student and it will certainly be a lasting legacy that lives on in the memory of our school from generation to generation.

Jamie Rugg was a past student who excelled at sport whilst at Bushey Meads School in the late 90s. He was particularly talented at basketball and was nominated to be the Most Valuable Player in the year the Senior Basketball Team won the Hertfordshire School’s Basketball Championship in 1995.

In those days the Basketball Championship was held across all secondary schools in the county, so it was a particularly inspiring achievement – beating over 100 schools to reach and win the prestigious competition. Sadly, Jamie passed away last year but, through the donation of the hugely significant trophy by his father John Rugg, his memory will live on in our hearts – across and beyond our school community.

Head of Faculty for PE and Health, Mr Cartledge (who was a young, new PE Teacher at Bushey Meads at the time) still remembers Jamie and his talented team and was delighted to be able to award the trophy at this year’s important Annual Rewards Evening to Josh in Year 8, himself a very worthy individual sports person.

Although Mr Rugg was not able to attend the Rewards Evening this year he sent in this email of gratitude:

Dear Mr Turner,

I’m just taking this opportunity to write and express my personal thanks and sincere gratitude to you, all your staff and students and all the parents; for respectfully welcoming both James & Karen to your annual school awards ceremony last night, to witness the inaugural presentation of the ‘Jamie Rugg’ memorial trophy. I’ve received beautiful messages from both James and Karen advising me that it was an absolutely wonderful reflective and sentimental occasion….. and that you and everyone in attendance made them feel extremely welcome….. and graciously, honoured them with a fantastic montage and compassionate tribute to Jamie. James also informed me that the worthy winner Josh and his very supportive parents were extremely grateful, humbled and very proud to receive this trophy. I sincerely hope that this will now inspire him to fulfil his dreams in the future. I’m simply overwhelmed from reading the story from James, reflecting how the evening unfolded and how much time, support and effort you and your staff provided for them from their arrival. I only wish I could have been in attendance myself to witness such appreciation and gratitude for my Son’s Sporting Achievements all those years ago. Please would you be so kind and pass these heartfelt sentiments on to everyone concerned? Thank you. Yours sincerely
John Rugg

The photos capture the sense of the occasion and show James Hutton (Jamie’s schoolboy best and lifelong friend) and Jamie’s mother, Mrs Karen Turner, standing alongside Josh and also alongside our Guest of Honour and outstanding Alumni Victoria Woolmer, who presented all the awards at the special evening.

It was definitely one of those powerful moments in time’.