On Monday 5 May 2025, a parade took place in London to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Two OKS were involved in leading, and reporting on, the event. 

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Foinette (MR 1991-96) was in charge of the parade (pictured in the centre). Speaking days before the parade, during a midnight rehearsal, Charles said: 

“My grandfather served in the RAF bomber command and became a prisoner of war in Germany after being shot down. He was a prisoner for three years. He lived until he was very nearly 100 and he shared his experiences with me, particularly towards the end of his life. It is extremely important that we do not rest on our laurels. A lot of hard work has to go into this."

Ashitha Nagesh (MT 2003-08) spent the day on the Mall reporting live for BBC News online. On LinkedIn, Ashitha said:

It was an honour to be part of the wider BBC deployment today, which included colleagues across TV and radio, and those working alongside me reporting and editing for our digital platforms.

Charles and Ashitha even managed to meet on the day for a quick interview. Charles told Ashitha about the importance of commemorating 80 years, saying: "This is probably the last time that significant numbers of veterans will be available and able to come and participate in commemorations, and I think it’s important to recognise what they did and what they left us."