It is with immense pleasure that Ken Beedle (R73), President of St Gregory’s Society, announces Mary Jane Platt (Ra76) as this year’s Old Gregorian Medallist.
The Old Gregorian Medal was first awarded in 2014. It was conceived with the aim of recognising the outstanding contributions made by Old Gregorians either to society as a whole or to St Gregory’s Society itself, within their field of specialisation whether in the public, private or voluntary sectors, and who have demonstrated exemplary, selfless service.
During the Prize Giving Ceremony on Friday 27th June, the President said the following:
‘This year’s recipient is no exception. She has had a distinguished career in medicine in public health and medical education, and a research focus on perinatal and paediatric epidemiology, mostly related to cerebral palsy. At a time when the right to life and a proper understanding of the dignity of the individual is under growing threat, it is more important than ever that St Gregory’s Society should give its support to those Old Gregorians who have dedicated themselves to medical care from conception to the natural end of life.
She was among the first few female pupils to enter the School before it officially became co-educational and it was fitting that in 2014, the bicentenary of the School at Downside, she became the first woman president of St Gregory’s Society. In that role, one of her important achievements was the establishment of the OG Medical Society.
She was an early member of the Order of Malta Volunteers and went on many annual pilgrimages with them to Lourdes, where she was part of the medical support team. In recent years she performed a similar role with the charity HCPT, taking disabled and disadvantaged people on pilgrimage holidays to Lourdes.
The lifelong dedication and affection for Downside that she has shown have been unwavering. She is a model of professionalism in one of society’s most important areas of care and service and will be an inspiration to pupils, past and present, both girls and boys, as they consider the roles that they may choose to follow in their lives after School.
On behalf of St Gregory’s Society, it gives me great pleasure to present the 2024 Old Gregorian Medal to Mary Jane Platt.’
Congratulations Mary Jane, a very worthy winner of this year’s OG Medal.