Ties that bind - the Benemy Dining Club dines again
By the William Ellis Trust
William Ellis headteacher Izzy Jones and Trust Director Will Durham were delighted to attend the 16th annual dinner of the Benemy Dining Club at the Civil Service Club on Thursday 8 October 2026.
The club is named after Colonel FWG Benemy, who commanded the William Ellis School Combined Cadet Force from the 1950s to the 1970s. Membership is open to all former William Ellis cadets, as well as alumni who have served in any of the armed forces.
It was a pleasure to see the bonds that still exist between former pupils and cadets, some of whom started at William Ellis in the early 1950s. We met many of the diners during the evening and laughed along with the anecdotes and memories of cadet life they shared so enthusiastically. It’s fair to say a few of those stories probably wouldn’t happen in 2026, however fun and character-building they sounded!
Since the first dinner, 78 William Ellis alumni have attended, with 553 places taken across the years. More than £3,000 has been raised for 11 service charities, and many friendships have been rekindled along the way.
A new chapter for cadets at William Ellis
Plans are now underway to relaunch a Combined Cadet Force at the school, with the aim of having it up and running in the first half of 2027. It has been many years since the original CCF was disbanded, but the evening showed just how powerful the experience can be in enriching pupils’ education and building the kind of lifelong bonds that were so clearly on show at the dinner.
The new cadet force is being funded in partnership with the Army, and proposed funding from the Lord Mayors’ Fund. In time, the William Ellis Trust will play a role in supporting the new force financially and ensuring every boy who wants to join can do so. As the cadet force develops we intend to launch a new Benemy Fund for those who wish to support its development, and to bring together individual donors and our work with trusts and foundations. If you’re interested in learning more about this, please reach out to our Director at wdurham@williamellis.camden.sch.uk
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