A COMMUNITY ACROSS GENERATIONS

The afternoon also provided an opportunity for our scholars to meet with the donors who generously fund their scholarships. Our Ann and Giles Currie Thatcher Scholar, Caitlin Kelly (2021, English) reports.

The Margaret Thatcher Scholarship Trust annual tea party was the perfect end to the academic year. The stresses of a gruelling Trinity term soon dissolved in the June sun, replaced by the joy of celebrating a truly life changing year for the scholars, donors, patrons, and volunteers of the Margaret Thatcher Scholarship Trust.

As Ann and Giles Currie Thatcher Scholar, it was a pleasure and a privilege to finally meet Ann and her daughter Lorna in person and thank her for her and her late husband’s generosity. Over summery glasses of Pimm’s, we chatted about her time at Somerville as well as her work at the Museums’ Association and the National Maritime Museum. As someone aspiring to a career in academia and heritage, it was inspiring to hear her experience and insights in the field.

Though the face of the College has changed since Ann’s days as an undergraduate, there was no doubt that the essence of Somerville has remained the same: ambitious, inclusive, and optimistic. This was very much the spirit of the afternoon. Looking around me, I felt a sense of hope and community – things that the world needs now more than ever. This Trust brings together people from across generations, academic disciplines, political viewpoints, and the globe - and will for years to come.