I am delighted to have the opportunity to introduce myself to you having joined Worcester as Development Director during Trinity Term. I arrived when the College was looking its absolute best, with the wisteria making an impressive appearance outside the Provost’s Lodgings before giving way to the stunning display in the Rose Garden. This has been the backdrop for the College to host a number of events for Old Members at which it has been a pleasure to meet so many of you and to welcome you back to Worcester.

Highlights have included joining in the celebrations of 120 years of the Rhodes Scholarships with a dinner for Worcester Rhodes alumni, marking the retirement of Dr Peter Darrah with Old Members who read Biology and their families, and the first Worcester College Ball for six years. There have also been events to thank and recognise all those of you who contribute to Worcester in all sorts of ways. So much of what we can achieve here is directly thanks to the time, expertise and financial support of a growing number of Old Members and we are very grateful.

With best wishes,

Viola Kerr, Director of Development

College news

Thank You for a Successful 2023 Telethon!

Thanks to so many of you, the 2023 Telethon at the end of March was a resounding success. A team of Worcester students spent two weeks connecting over the phone with over 500 Old Members, and we are grateful to everyone who took the time to talk with our students.

This year, nearly 300 people chose to make a gift, and we raised over £213,000, the majority of which was given for the College to direct to where it most needs funds. Thank you for your support, this really is of such value for all we are striving to do at Worcester. If you would like to contribute, please visit our website.

“It was delightful to talk to Priya and be reminded of the things that we all have in common through our affiliation to our college.”

As well as enabling the College to undertake important work through giving, creating the time and opportunity for current students and Old Members to talk was encouraging in itself. The students benefited enormously from the experience and wisdom of our Old Member community and we hope those of you who spoke to one of the team enjoyed the shared College connection.

“Thank you, George, for taking the time and making the effort to raise funds for the college we both love.”

Old Member events

Trinity Term is a busy time for everyone in College, and the stunning setting at Worcester makes it a wonderful time of year to reunite Old Members at a variety of events. We began term with a dinner to thank some of our most generous donors and introduce them to the students benefiting from their support. In May, with the gardens blooming, we hosted a Gardens Day with a tour by the Head Gardener and lunch. A stellar performance on the river during VIIIs Week was celebrated with a Boat Club Dinner for Old Members.

Taking advantage of wonderful weather throughout June, it was a joy to meet and thank our benefactors at the annual Donors’ Garden Party, and the following weekend we hosted a Biology Reunion for past students of biology and their families in honour of Dr Peter Darrah, Emeritus Fellow. Just a week afterwards students past and present arrived in huge numbers to experience a spectacular party in the grounds for Worcester’s first Commemoration Ball in six years. Finally, to mark the 120th anniversary of the Rhodes Scholarships, Worcester Rhodes Scholar alumni travelled from all over the world to join current Rhodes students for a dinner with the Provost and a drinks reception in beautiful sunshine in the Rose Garden.

The Development team would like to thank all those of you who came to our Old Member events this term, and to those unable to make it, know that your old College will always welcome you back with open arms. You are a member of the Worcester community for life, and we hope that through our Old Member Events we’re able to keep that Worcester spirit alive and well for many years to come.

Provost David Isaac joins a panel including Lord Patten of Barnes and Philip Pullman at Meeting Minds 2023 September

Provost David Isaac is currently set to be part of a discussion panel on freedom of speech in this year’s Meeting Minds lectures. Chaired by Lord Patten of Barnes, the panel will explore the issues swirling around free speech in person, in print and online: why is it being challenged; what are the implications for all of us; and what is the role of universities in this arena? Open to all Oxford Old Members, Meeting Minds is a series of talks by some of the University’s leading experts and prominent figures, and we’re proud to have our Provost be a part of it.

A touching tribute

In early July, the College welcomed back a very special group of Old Members and friends to host a heart-warming sports event. The annual Luke Westall Memorial Cricket Match took place on July 1st, when friends and family of Old Member Luke Westall, who tragically passed shortly after his time in College in 1999, gathered to honour Luke. Luke was passionate about the sport, and since his passing those close to him have paid tribute to him by organising an annual cricket match in his memory. The cricketers alternate each year between playing at Worcester and at Luke’s secondary school, and we were delighted to welcome them back again this year.

University Open Days

In June, Worcester College took part in the University-wide Open Days, an opportunity for prospective students to come and visit Oxford and see which College could be right for them. This year, over two thousand secondary students and family members visited Worcester, filling the College with a buzz of fresh-faced excitement. Our student volunteers welcomed them enthusiastically, providing tours, testimonials, and tips for incoming applicants. It was wonderful to see so much energy from everyone involved, and a special thanks goes to all of our amazing student volunteers for making the days a great success!

New Hymn Books in Chapel

The old Hymn Books had been in use in the Chapel continuously since 1985 and the time had come to replace them. The Chapel has purchased a complete set of new books for current and future students at Worcester, which went into circulation at the beginning of Trinity Term 2023, and will be used in all services for the next 40 years.

If you would like to support the purchase of these books with a donation, we are offering the opportunity for your name, or the name of someone you wish to be remembered, to be printed on a bespoke book plate on the inside of one of our new Hymn Books. Get in touch if you’d like to support this initiative.

Old Members

King’s Birthday Honours 2023

This year, several of our accomplished Old Members have been named in the King’s Birthday Honours List, recognising their service to the nation. Congratulations to all of the following Old Members!

Head of the M16 Richard Moore (1982, PPE) has been knighted as a KCMG in the King’s first Birthday Honours list for services to National Security and British Foreign Policy. Sir Richard read Philosophy, Politics & Economics at Worcester College and subsequently won a Kennedy Scholarship for post-graduate study at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. With SIS not officially acknowledged until as late as 1994, Sir Richard made history upon his appointment in 2020 by becoming the first MI6 Chief to use Twitter.

Virologist at Keele University, Dr Naomi Forrester-Soto (1996, Biological Sciences) received a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the inaugural King’s Birthday Honours list for services to public communication during the Covid-19 pandemic. She became a key national voice on radio and television, offering expert advice on Covid-19 and answering questions from people across the UK.

Senior Research Investigator and Professor of Thoracic Medicine at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Professor Peter Barnes (1970, Pharmacology) was knighted as a Knight Bachelor in the inaugural King’s Birthday Honours list for services to Respiratory Science. He has published over 1500 peer-reviewed papers on asthma and COPD as well as collaborating with major pharmaceutical companies to develop novel inhalers for those suffering with respiratory conditions.

Stuart Proffitt (1979, Modern History) was awarded an OBE for services to literature in the inaugural King’s Birthday Honours list. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Stuart is a book editor and publisher, first at HarperCollins (1983-1998) and since then at Penguin. In 1999 he founded the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-fiction (now the Baillie Gifford Prize) and in 2014 he was awarded the London Library ‘Life in Literature’ Prize.

Stage IV cancer survivor Luke Grenfell-Shaw (2018, Water Science, Policy and Management) was awarded an MBE in the inaugural King’s Birthday Honours List for services to Charitable Fundraising for People with Cancer. Luke, who prefers to call himself a ‘canliver’, raised over £300,000 for five cancer-related charities by cycling over 30,000 kilometres following his own diagnosis and treatment in 2018.

Old Members’ publications

Frank Exchanges – David Wood OBE (1963, English)

Between 1959 and 2005, David Wood (‘the national children’s dramatist’) corresponded with his mentor, Frank Whitbourn, teacher, writer, and theatre practitioner. Frank Exchanges opens with a letter from Whitbourn, praising a young Wood following a performance in one of his plays, and documents an almost fifty-year correspondence before Whitbourn’s death in 2005. Wood sent Whitbourn the first draft of every play he wrote, and Whitbourn commented constructively and often came to see and ‘review’ the plays in production. Published 28th June.

How to Expect the Unexpected: The Science of Making Predictions and the Art of Knowing When Not To – Kit Yates (2007, Biology)

This book will teach you how and why predictions go wrong, help you to spot phony forecasts and give you a better chance of getting your own predictions correct. Dr Yates provides numerous notable examples of prediction dos and don’ts to help illustrate his point, from mistakes made during the pandemic to the deliberate miscalculation of the ‘Brexit bounce’. Published 6th July.

Johnson at 10: The Inside Story by Sir Anthony Seldon (1973, PPE) and Raymond Newell

In his latest book, the distinguished historian and headteacher goes behind the scenes to map Boris Johnson’s time in power from start to finish and sheds new light on the most divisive Prime Minister to have led the United Kingdom since Thatcher. Based on more than 200 interviews with key aides, allies and insiders, Johnson at 10 gives the first full account of Johnson’s premiership, the shockwaves of which are still felt today. Published 4th May.

Upcoming events

For the latest event updates and information, and to book your place, please visit the Alumni Events page of the College website.

Go to alumni events

From the Development Office

Meet our team