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11

Social news round-up - November 2012

Open-access content Tuesday 20th November 2012 — updated 5.13pm, Wednesday 29th April 2020

Children first for ISIS/ David Bor conquers Ironman Challenge/ The Actuary and WCA joint charity campaign/ The history of war games/ Announcements: Obituaries & Births

Children first for ISIS

By Andrew O'Brien


Since 2007, Aspen Re has developed a strong partnership with The ISIS Foundation (www.isisgroup.org). The Foundation's purpose is to 'work side by side with children and communities in remote areas in Nepal and Uganda to improve their lives'. Approximately half of Uganda's 34.5m inhabitants are under the age of 15. Uganda has the third highest birthrate in the world, but it also has a significant infant mortality rate.

Aspen Re mainly supports health projects at Kiwoko Hospital in rural Uganda, servicing a population of 500,000 people and offering a wide range of medical services. Together, Aspen and The ISIS Foundation have provided the hospital with a new and expanded neonatal intensive care unit and a brand new maternity ward that saves thousands of lives that would have otherwise been needlessly lost.

In September I was fortunate to be selected as one of seven Aspen employees to participate in the annual ISIS-Aspen Ambassador trip to Kiwoko Hospital to experience first-hand the wonderful outcomes of this partnership. The trip gave me the opportunity to tour the hospital,

meet the doctors and nurses, call upon families in the community who receive treatment and nutrition services from the HIV department and play with children living with HIV.

As part of the life-changing trip, I was able, together with my Aspen colleagues, to run the Kiwoko Chase - a 16.5km run through the bush. Fundraising is part of a continued effort by Aspen staff to help the lives of families from the Kiwoko community and we have raised over $400,000 for ISIS since the start of our partnership. To date, the Aspen Ambassadors have raised over £5,000 for the Kiwoko Chase, but we would welcome your support!

Donations can be made online at: www.justgiving.com/aspenkiwokochase


David Bor conquers Ironman Challenge for Jewish charities

Congratulations to David Bor for completing the Ironman Challenge and raising more than £8,000 for two Jewish charities - The Fed, which looks after disabled and elderly members of the Jewish community in north Manchester, and Israeli charity Eshel, which provides food and help to some of the country's poorest children.

The challenge began at 6am with a 2.4-mile swim in the lake at Pennington Flash Country Park, which David describes as "claustrophobic" as hundreds of swimmers were competing for space in a tight spot. Next up was a foreboding 112-mile cycle ride, followed by a 26.2-mile run. David finished the challenge in an impressive 13 hours and 2 minutes, coming 444th out of 1,500 participants and 24th out of 95 in his

age group.

It should be noted that David beat the odds to even get to the starting line, after he broke his wrist during training when a motorist opened a car door in his way while he was cycling, throwing him off his bike.

David is understandably delighted with his achievement and would like to thank all those who supported him, as well as his employer, JLT, who donated £2,500 towards the total raised.

 If you would like to sponsor David and provide support for his two charities, it's not too late. Visit www.justgiving.com/David-Bor or send a cheque, payable to The Fed, to the Fundraising Department, Heathlands Village, Heathlands Drive, Prestwich, M25 9SB or call 0161 772 4800.

 More information on the two charities that David was supporting can be found at www.thefed.org.uk

www.colelchabad.org


Can you help to boost The Actuary and WCA joint charity campaign?

The Actuary, in conjunction with the Worshipful Company of Actuaries, has been running a campaign to reach a charity fundraising target of £1m through the activities of actuaries. Over £350,000 has been raised since the launch of the campaign. Please continue to let us know if you are taking part in any charity events so that we can keep track of your fundraising activities.

 Email details of your activities to Yvonne Wan at

[email protected] or Charles Cowling at

[email protected]


The history of war games

By Chris Lewin

A war game is a practical dynamic exercise in risk management so, as such, should be of interest to actuaries.

Commercially produced strategic war games for the public appeared during the Napoleonic Wars, when Londoners wanted to experience the campaigns fought by British forces in Spain. These games were played on simple squared boards showing rivers, bridges, forts and towns.

From 1870 to 1914, numerous naval and military games were published, often with very fine and colourful graphics, giving a flavour of real-life warfare. The Spanish-American War of 1898 stimulated the publication of naval games in the US. During the First World War, additional games appeared in Britain, Germany and France, including one based on the Red Cross, while during the Second World War some games were related to aspects of civilian life, such as blackouts and evacuation. Since the 1950s there has been an explosion of public interest in war games - many people have played Risk - and realism has increased greatly.

Other games were used for training military and naval officers - another breakthrough in the 19th century was the introduction of methods that gave each team a view of only part of the board, thus producing uncertainty.

From about 1900 onwards, governments round the world ran complex strategic war games as part of their planning process for future conflicts. Many of the later games gave players experience in using nuclear weapons, while today there is emphasis on the Middle East. Perhaps future games will be based on cyber warfare?

Space is limited here, but some readers may like to peruse my recent book: War Games and their History, Fonthill Media, 2012. A copy is available in the Profession's Library.


Obituary


Peter Esslemont

1935-2012

 

Peter Esslemont, who passed away on 4 May, will be remembered as an individual of outstanding charm and dignity. He possessed impeccable manners and his behaviour towards others placed him in a class of his own. When Peter spoke to you at a function, he put you at ease and made you feel that you were the only person in the room.

Although his demeanour was mild, there was another side to Peter. Simply put, behind the scenes, he was a man of steel.

Peter held strong views about most things and it was difficult, if not impossible, to change his mind once made up. He detested bureaucracy and complained bitterly about endless regulation, rules and formal standards on the basis that these could never act as a substitute for fundamental elements of human behaviour. Unfortunate events in financial markets around the world have served as a testimony to his views.

Another of Peter's pet hates was waffle. After a polite moment or two, he would confront the loquacious victim with the question 'Is that relevant?'. Matters moved on somewhat rapidly thereafter.

Peter was endowed with an encyclopaedic mind. This attribute stood him in good stead at the Livery Companies of the City of London. Peter was Clerk to the Actuaries Company from 1989 to 1999 and became Master in 2000. His contribution to the growth of the Company and developing the influence of actuaries within the wider community was immense.

In particular, he played a prominent role in a campaign to elect Ken Ayers, a close friend and fellow actuary, as Sheriff of the City of London in 1995. It was a measure of his prestige that the campaign succeeded. The profession and the livery owe Peter a great debt of gratitude. He was also on the Court of the Scriveners Company and was due to become Master in 2011. Unfortunately, owing to ill health, he was unable to do so.

Peter enjoyed a rewarding career as an actuary, qualifying as a Fellow in 1961. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, followed by Pembroke College, Cambridge, reading maths and economics. He then joined Equity & Law, before becoming a partner at Hymans Robertson.

It is a source of pleasure to know that Ann, Peter's wife of 22 years, will continue with her own substantial involvement in the work of the City of London and is in line to become Master of a Livery Company in 2014.


Written by:

Alan Fishman


Births


Ozias Goredema (Ernst & Young) and wife Shermaine are pleased to announce the birth of their first child, Amber-Rose Anashe Goredema, on 25 August 2012. Amber weighed 3.76kg and measured 55cm long.


George Oliver Houlihan, a brother for Sophia, was born on 27 July 2012 to proud parents Roger (Prudential) and Alison.

This article appeared in our November 2012 issue of The Actuary.
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