The Old Edwardians Association UK & Ireland (OEA UK&I) is an assemblage of Edwardians both male and female who had the privilege of attending the St. Edward’s Secondary School in Freetown Sierra Leone.

The formation of OEAUK&I was the brainchild of both the late Mr Eddie Soalla Bell and Mr Matthew Ellis who regularly socialise at the West Indian Ex-service men’s club in Clapham, London. They contacted a few known Old Edwardians and discussed the idea of forming the OEAUK&I.

The very first meeting of the Association was held in June 1987 at the basement hall of the Sierra Leone High Commission building at 33 Portland Place in London West End. As more members were encouraged to join the OEAUK&I, the plight of the school became the focal point to the Association and in December 2004 the OEAUK&I became a Registered Charity with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, Registered Charity Number 1107118.

We hold general meetings every second Sunday of the month, Annual General Meetings (AGM) in May and Biannual elections for Executive members at our AGM with the last elections held in May 2023.

We have mostly raised money by hosting activities such as our annual Black-tie Dinner parties, donations from Patrons and well-wishers and other fee-paying events. Registered members paid a yearly subscription which covers our administrative cost.

We currently have over 150 subscribed members plus another 300+ on our database, although, it is understood that there are 1000s more Edwardians in the UK and a lot more in Europe that we would like to be the part of us.

The Old Edwardians’ Association motto is ‘Funiculus Triplex Difficile Rumpitur’ which translates, “A threefold cord is not quickly broken”. This has been translated from Latin taken from Ecclesiastes 4:12. “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken”.

This motto was chosen as it is mainly a proverbial expression for the show of how much there is strength in unity. Whereas the term ‘Threefold’ was particularly chosen for it symbolises the thought of carrying on from two (The School Administration & Current Pupils) to three (Past Pupils) as is in Proverbs 30:15; Proverbs 30:18; Proverbs 30:21. Three has been a strong symbolic number in the Christian faith, as we talk of the Holy Trinity, three persons in unity of the Godhead – in the union of Faith, Hope and Charity.