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Meet the team
Richard Claas
Development Director
Richard, who joined Bedford Modern School in September 2010, has over twenty years experience in education external relations, fundraising and marketing, having previously worked for King’s School in Bruton, Somerset, The Godolphin and Latymer School for Girls in Hammersmith and King’s College, London.
As Development Director, Richard is the office’s principal fundraiser and responsible for leading and supporting the Development office’s work in marrying the interests of the School and its various stakeholders.
Passionate about good practice in education, his ambition is to ensure that all BMS students and their teachers enjoy the resources that will help them to get the most out of their time at the School.
Richard is a keen amateur musician and has joined the School’s choral society, The Modernian Singers, as its accompanist. He is married with three sons, two of whom went to Bedford Modern School.
You can speak to Richard on 01234 332576 or write to him at rclaas@bedmod.co.uk.
Deborah Burrows
Development Officer
Deborah joined Bedford Modern School in December 2009 as our Database and Development Officer. She has a vital role in maintaining our ever-growing database, ensuring that OBMs contact details are up –to-date, as well as assisting with the running of our busy Development Office, managing our finances and helping out with our events and reunions.
Prior to joining the School, Deborah had a career spanning twenty years in banking, working for the HSBC Group. During that time she undertook numerous roles including customer service, operational and training positions. As part of the Bank’s role within the community, Deborah has provided business guidance for candidates on the Young Enterprise scheme and money management talks to former students of BMS and the other schools in The Bedford Charity.
Deborah is married with a young family and enjoys socialising with friends, belonging to a book club and running.
Deborah can be reached on 01234 332587 or by email at dburrows@bedmod.co.uk.
Sarah Turnham
Alumni and Events Officer
Sarah joined Bedford Modern School in May 2010 as our Alumni and Events Officer, having previously worked as the Community Fundraising Coordinator for Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Rutland at Marie Curie Cancer Care.
She is responsible for devising and organising our reunion and events programme for Old Bedford Modernians and the wider community.
Sarah also manages our communications with the School’s alumni (including the recently introduced Development Office e-shot) and is developing the use of social media to support OBMs in their contact with the School and one other.
Call Sarah on 01234 332 654 or email her at sturnham@bedmod.co.uk if you would like to organise an event at the School.
Richard Wildman
OBM Club Secretary and School Archivist
Richard Wildman has been OBM Club Secretary and School Archivist since January 1999. Educated at BMS from 1956 to 1965, Richard is a second generation OBM, following his late father and uncle who came to the School in the 1930s.
Richard’s career background is in teaching and bookselling and he was a Bedford Borough Councillor between 1973 and 1976. He has compiled six books of historic Bedford and Bedfordshire photographs, from Bygone Bedford (1974) to Bedford’s Motoring Heritage (co-written with Alan Crawley, 2003).
He co-edited (with Paul Middleton and Peter Boon) School of the Black and Red (the School History by Andrew Underwood, 2010) and the previous OBM Club publications The BMS We Knew (2006), and Bedford 50 Years Ago (by the late Victor J F Farrar, 2007).
Richard is President of the Friends of Bedford Cemetery, and of Bedford Art Society, and a past President of Bedford Architectural, Archaeological and Local History Society.
Richard can be contacted on 01234 332543 or by email at obmclub@bedmod.co.uk
