The Chadsian - Summer 2017 by St Chad's College Publications

The

Chadsian Summer 2017

St Chadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College Magazine

Contents The Magazine of St Chad’s College, Durham University

The Chadsian

Summer 2017

From the Principal

New Vice-Principals New Chaplain

St Chad’s College Magazine

JCR & MCR

College Choir 11

Boat Club

College Scholarships & Bursaries

Iran’s Ironwoman

College Research

A Degree of Creativity

Africa: giving a hand up 24

Alumni Events

From the Principal

I am delighted to welcome you to this year's edition of The Chadsian and, through its pages, to offer you a glimpse into our wonderful college. It's been a significant year for us, a year of consolidation and development, a great deal of hard work and of course a lot of fun. St Chad's is in good heart just now - application rates are excellent, academic results are outstanding, and our students are generally happy. However, we are living in competitive and fastchanging times, both within the University and in our national and global context, and we have been thinking hard about how best to ensure that St Chad's continues to flourish for decades to come. One of our major tasks over this last year has been to develop a Strategy that will sustain the St Chad's culture, ethos and sense of community, building on the many things we already do well, whilst working to enhance further the quality, effectiveness and beauty of our college life. I hope you will recognise in the Vision, Values and Mission articulated on the page opposite, the best of who we are and who we aspire to be.

Central to St Chad's identity has always been its people, and one of the things I love about this issue of The Chadsian is the way that in each article, these values shine through whether through our new staff appointments or the impressive things our students and alumni get up to. Chadsians make their mark in such an interesting range of ways, and in this issue we are glad to celebrate particularly all that Shirin Gerami has achieved and applaud her official recognition as one of the ‘100 most influential and inspirational women around the world’. One of the great pleasures of my job as Principal over this last year has been the chance to meet so many alumni at reunions and events in London, Salford, New York - and of course, in Durham. Your continuing support and engagement matters to us a great deal and I look forward to seeing many more alumni at our events over the next year detailed on the back page of this magazine. We are particularly grateful to those of you who have so generously supported our Scholarships and Bursaries programme. It matters more than ever that the benefits and values of a Chad's education remain open to talented students from every background - ‘Non Vestra Sed Vos’ and I hope that you will enjoy reading in these pages about some of our first Shattock Family and Joe Cassidy Scholars. We are also keen to build stronger links with the North East community. Our Domus Dinner this year took a slightly different form and focussed on reaching out to potential friends and supporters in the North East. We are keen to engage more effectively with this wonderful region - not only through our impressive research programme, but also in working with the business community, and the voluntary and education sectors as we explore opportunities for our students to contribute and learn. Thank you for your continued interest in St Chad's. I hope you enjoy this edition of The Chadsian and the glimpse it offers you beyond the green door.

VISION VALUES MISSION Our Vision: “To be an hospitable, supportive, challenging community of learning, respected for our distinctive contribution to Durham University, the North East region, and the wider world.”

Our Values: “As an independent college within Durham University, shaped by our Anglican heritage, and embedded in the North East region, we seek to live with integrity as a community serving people of all faiths and none.”

Our Mission: “To work as a warm, reflective community which sustains an outstanding collegiate experience, promotes academic excellence and personal development, and encourages our members to make a positive social impact.”

A Strategic Framework Communal and Curious We welcome and value people from all backgrounds and perspectives, and promote a culture of respect, friendship, inclusion, and diversity. Our ethos supports the pursuit of academic excellence, the passion for ideas, the quest for truth, and a lifelong commitment to learning.

Just and Responsible We reach out to marginalised people within local, national, and global communities, and work towards a fairer and more ethical society. We respect our planet, and minimise the harm we do to it by adopting environmentally sustainable practices.

Holistic and Beautiful We live as a community which nurtures spiritual as well as intellectual growth, and we facilitate an appreciation of the personal and political significance of faith in our world today. We value the aesthetic quality of our community environment, recognise the creativity involved in all intellectual endeavour, and integrate sport, music, art, drama and literature into our life together.

Professional and Sustainable We live in a competitive, fast-changing world. We are committed to sustaining all that we love about our College but also to ensuring that we develop and flourish in the future.

New Vice-Principals It has been a great honour and pleasure to return home to St Chad’s as Vice-Principal and Senior Tutor. Though I spent three very enjoyable years studying for my BA in English at St Aidan’s, it was when I moved to St Chad’s in 2007 to begin my postgraduate studies that I felt that I had found a true home in Durham. I’m originally from Neath in South Wales, and lived in Monmouth before arriving in Durham in 2004. Whilst I was an undergraduate I became involved in Durham Students’ Union and served as Women’s Officer, NUS Women’s Conference delegate, and Chair of the Gender Equality Committee from 2005-6. I graduated in 2007 and began my MA in Studies in Poetry at St Chad’s later that year. During 2007-2008 I served as DSU Postgraduate Officer before graduating in January 2009. Funded by an AHRC Doctoral Award, I started my doctoral studies on tradition, inheritance, and influence in the work of the AngloAmerican poet and Chad’s College Fellow, Anne Stevenson. In 2010 I started working with the charity The Reader Organization as a shared reading group facilitator, and soon became Reader in Residence at a maximum security women’s prison in County Durham as part of a Home Office funded project. In 2011 I was offered a position as Visiting Fellow in the Department of English at Harvard University and awarded a Frank Knox Memorial Fellowship to fund my time in the US. Whilst at Harvard I volunteered as an Educator at the New England Aquarium, and taught a short graduate course ‘What is Poetry Good For?’ Having completed my PhD in 2012 I became Research Assistant for the T.S. Eliot Editorial Project, before taking up the post of Assistant Senior Tutor at Hatfield College in 2013. I have rejoined St Chad’s at a very exciting time, as we complete our new strategy document. One of the things I’m particularly keen to work on in the coming years is our Widening Participation scheme which aims to ensure that Chad’s is able to attract the very best applicants from all socio-economic and educational backgrounds. As part of this scheme this year we have welcomed through the doors of College more than 240 state school pupils from the North of England. We are now seeking partners to develop a student mentoring scheme for pupils in Year 9 upwards. Having participated in St Chad’s Inspire! visits with primary school pupils from Crook a decade ago, it’s a real privilege to take a lead on this important work and I look forward to working more closely with schools in the region in the future.

I am still teaching and research-active in the Department of English Studies, and my recent publications include a chapter on the work of Kathleen Jamie (Edinburgh University Press, 2014) and the New Casebook on American Poetry since 1945 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016). Forthcoming publications include chapters on love poetry and on the work of Anne Stevenson in the Blackwell Companion to British and Irish Poetry 1960-2010 (Wiley Blackwell, 2018), and a chapter in Sylvia Plath in Context (Cambridge University Press, 2018) I continue to be the Digital Director of Durham University’s Centre for Poetry and Poetics, which promotes the reading, writing and editing of poetry from classical antiquity to the present. I look forward to developing further the links between the College, the Centre, and regional resources like Durham Book Festival and New Writing North. I live in Weardale with my husband, Stephen, and our whippet, Jonty (who is enjoying his new role as a College Welfare Dog). I am a keen competitive runner and have been a member of Crook and District AC and the North East Marathon Club since 2014. In the winter months I compete as part of a Cross Country team in the North East Harrier League and during the summer I compete on the track as a 100m sprinter. I also love long distance events and am still chasing that elusive ‘good for age’ sub 3 hour 45 minute marathon time to guarantee my entry to the World Marathon Majors. I look forward to meeting many alumni at College events over the coming years.

Q & A with Eleanor Currently listening to? Iron & Wine ‘Around the well’ Currently reading? British poetry from the 1950s and 1960s Currently watching? Season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag Race Favourite food? Steak (blue) Favourite drink? Tea (pint) or, later in the day, Bourbon and soda Hero/heroine? Jilly Cooper and Diana Nyad Favourite city (outside Durham obvs)? Swansea Title of your autobiography? Bossypants (with apologies to Tina Fey) Best thing about Chad’s? The way that Chad’s students are so keen to get stuck in and give new things a try.

It’s a huge privilege to be able to introduce myself in the Chadsian magazine to alumni and friends of St Chad’s College as the new Vice-Principal and Bursar. I began my career as a management trainee at Lloyds Bank 23 years ago in Lloyds’ Grey Street branch in Newcastle. My career then progressed through banking (including a year in offshore banking in the Isle of Man) to finance and then a spell as an area manager for Shell, with responsibility for the North East. I then spent six really enjoyable and fulfilling years working for the Diocese of Durham as its Stewardship Development Officer, encouraging people to support the mission and ministry of the Church of England in Durham. One of the highlights of my time there was working closely with the then Bishop, Justin Welby, who was an inspirational leader and had a huge effect on me. I was then regional manager for Charity Bank, lending to charities and social enterprises across the North East. Sadly, last year the bank reduced its workforce which meant the end of my time there. But every cloud has a silver lining and I now find myself back in Durham in a job I have already come to love. The vibrancy of working in a college environment combined with the day to day challenges of running what is in reality a £2.5m turnover business makes mine a very distinctive position. As well as being in charge of finance, I have responsibility for 36 staff members, health and safety, and day to day operations at the College including food, housekeeping and maintaining our historic buildings. While

St Chad’s may be the smallest of the 16 colleges of Durham University, we certainly punch well above our weight. Outside of my role as the College’s Bursar, I am the Chair of the North East Religious Learning & Resources Centre. As its name suggests this is a centre which works to develop religious education in schools and churches across the North East, operating from sites in North Shields and Durham. I also edit the bi-monthly magazine for the village where I live, and, until recently I was Chair of Prince Bishops Community Bank, a credit union operating in Durham and Northumberland. This year I married my fiancée, Kate; between us we have four children ranging from 15 to 30 years old. Two live at home, one is finishing a Master’s degree in Edinburgh and another moved to Madrid with her husband last year – very handy for a long weekend! We live in Corbridge, 15 miles west of Newcastle, along the Tyne valley. It’s a beautiful place, great for walking our two dogs; I’m very lucky to live and work in two of the most picturesque locations in the North East. At weekends much of my time is spent with the family, playing golf when I can but often standing on the touchline watching my son play football. I also play football myself, but not to quite as high a standard. My team’s ages range from 15 to 78, but we do manage an annual tour and have played in France, Spain, Germany and the Czech Republic. I have already attended my first alumni event - our formal dinner in London in March. It was good to introduce myself to alumni then and I hope to meet many more Chadsians in the years ahead.

Q & A with Alistair Currently listening to? Jamiroquai Currently reading? ‘Above Head Height’ by James Brown. Hilarious tales from the world of 5-a-side football Currently watching? The Night Manager Favourite food? Barbecue Favourite drink? Full-bodied red wine Hero/heroine? Kevin Keegan Favourite city (outside Durham obvs)? Nice Title of your autobiography? Swan on the Water Best thing about Chad’s? Too many to mention.

New Chaplain

It is with an enormous sense of excitement that I introduce myself to fellow Chadsians in the Chadsian magazine as the College’s new Chaplain and Outreach Officer. It is a real sense of homecoming for me, 21 years after my graduation from St Chad’s in 1996. After my time as an undergraduate at St Chad’s, having been accepted for training in the Church of England, I continued my studies at St Stephen’s House in Oxford before being ordained in 1998 to serve in North London. My ministry has, ever since, been both north and south of the River Thames, with the past 16 years of that within the National Health Service. Serving as a chaplain within the NHS has certainly given me many opportunities to learn in ways that I would never have contemplated as a young undergraduate considering my future vocation. I hope that I will be able to bring this experience to all that is asked of me in my new role within St Chad’s, in the University community, in the North East and further afield. It is a real privilege to be arriving back at Chad’s at a time when the College continues to flourish academically alongside its ongoing commitment to justice and service of the community around us. As the smallest college in Durham I knew as an undergraduate that I had chosen well. The strong bonds of friendship that are forged within Chad's make it such a unique and vibrant community, and I am thrilled to be offered the opportunity to reach out to potential Chad's students from across a wide range of backgrounds.

I was recently asked by a current student at St Chad's whether I see being a priest within the Church of England as the ultimate qualification for being a good chaplain. My answer will always be that it is rather what I and others bring to our roles that ‘qualifies’ us. As College Chaplain, I want to live out a hospitality that includes all beliefs and values that makes our College such a vibrant and welcoming place in which to live and study. Accepting each other with all of our varieties of outlook and belief is one of the things that Chad’s taught me in my early 20s; I think I now understand more fully just how important that nurturing was for me and was for the many others who have entered into the melting pot of life at Chad’s through the ‘green door’. Generous hospitality, enabling each member of the community to be authentic, is at the heart of what I seek to offer to all students and all staff alike. Beyond work for College, I realise that I will have my work cut out keeping up with the running ability of the Vice-Principal, Dr Eleanor Spencer-Regan; but I will be continuing to compete in half and full marathons as long as my knees will support me. I will be starting the new academic year with back to back marathons in Berlin and Chicago in aid of the Dr Joe Cassidy Scholarship Fund and then look forward to a slightly less frenzied training regime during my first term as I get to know Durham and St Chad’s afresh from September. I look forward to meeting many of my fellow alumni and friends of St Chad’s in the years ahead at events in College, around the country and the world.

Q & A with David Currently listening to? London Grammar ‘Truth is a beautiful thing’ Currently reading? ‘Your Pace or Mine’ by Lisa Jackson Currently watching? BBC1 Drama ‘Broken’ Favourite food? Smoked salmon Favourite drink? Gin & Tonic (Fever Tree tonic) Hero/heroine? Desmond Tutu and Victoria Wood Favourite city (outside Durham obvs)? New York (especially borough of Brooklyn for coffee) Title of your autobiography? Never again (runners will understand this immediately!) Best thing about Chad's? Its radical and unbounded hospitality.

JCR

MCR

This last year has gone faster than I could have imagined; my election in February last year, does not seem that long ago. Now it’s July and I have just completed my finals. Nine months ago about 130 freshers walked into Chad’s for the first time as undergraduates, and matriculated later that evening. A sleepless and frantic Freshers’ Week, including all the classics such as the Princey B and the Engaged and Inspired lecture, this year given by the Vice-Chancellor, began the year. Then SocCom, BarCom, Green Door Theatre, CharCom and a Boat Club, temporarily, without a boathouse, organised more than enough social events to keep everyone busy. In Michaelmas Term, Winter Ball and Hope Ball were sold out. Green Door’s pantomime once again successfully managed to embarrass and ridicule the entire Exec and the term ended spectacularly as ever with the Advent Procession and Christmas mega-formal. In Epiphany, dissertation and summative season hit us all hard after Christmas. However, we were helped

This academic year has been truly exciting for St Chad’s MCR. St Chad’s, and the world more generally, has gone through some major changes. From student involvement in hiring a new Senior Tutor, Bursar and Chaplain, to students voting in the EU Referendum, American Elections, and UK General Election - so much has been at stake. In Chad’s, at least, collaboration, productive and respectful debate, careful consideration, and conscious decision-making are alive and well within our College community. This spirit of intellectual engagement has been encouraged by the MCR through our programme of research forums and scholarly talks, the publication of our academic journal, Foundation, and the organisation of a summer conference ‘Changing Climates’. What really stands out for me, however, is the spirit of cooperation and integration that has continued to grow between JCR and MCR. From 4th year Freshers’ Reps in Freshers’ Week, well-attended inter-common room events, to joint constitutional reforms aimed at making our community more fluid; I’m so pleased to have been part of such an effort. Our growing integration is the envy of Durham; we will continue to develop our College family through our renewed commitment to inclusivity and diversity. In addition to these more serious pursuits, the MCR has hosted numerous events in College. There was our annual Thanksgiving Dinner (Brits seems to like this American holiday, although, for some reason, they aren’t too keen to celebrate the 4th of July). We also organised a Disney themed Inter-MCR Formal, an MCR trip to Warsaw, and a Twitter campaign #AvengersToChads during Marvel Pictures filming in the Cathedral (they didn’t end up coming, but our Secretary did get an autographed picture from Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor in the movie). Finally, after ages of negotiation, we now have a beautifully refurbished common room and an adjacent new study room for postgraduate students. Complete with a new fridge/freezer for our growing membership, an ecofriendly dishwasher, and a Netflix account, we are catching up with the 21st Century! Of course, none of this would’ve been possible without the help of an incredible executive committee, an engaged membership, and a larger than normal presence of 4th year undergraduate associate members. Chadsians are amazing!

through the term by the 60th anniversary of the Candlemas Ball. Morgan Morris, Head Steward, took the College back to the 1950s: the marquee became a go-kart track, the JCR a casino, Chapel had karaoke and the Cassidy Quad was filled with food Ents and a live band to entertain us through the night. Morgan and her team excelled. Candlemas is one of those pillars of Chad’s that will always be remembered. I hope that in 60 years’ time I will be able to read the latest report about how it went and what theme was chosen. Another pillar, of course, is St Chad’s Day. It was as terribly green as ever. The Police watched us, hopefully bemused, to ensure public order in the early morning on the Bailey, as we woke our neighbouring colleges. In the afternoon a certain Marcus Dell and Nellie Maxim became Mr and Mrs Chad’s, but, the true heroes of the day, and the entire year, were Polly Jacobs and her amazing SocCom team. They deserve endless appreciation and gratitude for the unbelievable job they have done, never letting their high standards slip. I am a little sad that I might have done my last ever Chad’s Day, Candlemas and all the rest. It was not long ago that I was fresh-faced and walking through that green door for the first time. But it has truly been an honour to serve this special place and I wish Hilaire Wong, my successor, all the best. Hopefully when she writes this piece in a year’s time she will feel as nostalgic and proud of this small community as I do.

College Choir The Choir has had an exciting and rewarding year singing regularly in the familiar setting of St Chad’s Chapel and also much larger venues elsewhere. The weekly pattern of Thursday Choral Evensong and Sunday morning Eucharist was interspersed with a number of other events and outings. Our first ‘away’ fixture of the academic year was Evensong in Durham Cathedral on 7th November where Wesley’s great anthem Blessed be the God and Father certainly made the most of the acoustic. Two weeks later we joined forces with Durham School’s choir in its school chapel to perform Fauré’s Requiem, with orchestra. The build up to Christmas is always exciting and busy and this year was no exception. The annual Advent Procession was acclaimed as possibly the best ever and we returned to the Cathedral a few days later to perform at the Friends of Durham Cathedral Christmas concert, accompanied by the excellent Consett Salvation Army Band. After that a combined concert with the University Brass Band in St Oswald’s Church and finally our own College carol service certainly got everyone in suitably festive spirits. There were several highlights in Epiphany term. Firstly, we travelled to London to sing Evensong at St. Paul’s Cathedral where we were, literally, able to listen to ourselves during the amazing ten second echo. Rheinberger’s Abendlied sounded particularly luxurious. A couple of weeks later Durham Cathedral turned myriad shades of green as we celebrated St Chad’s Day with our annual celebratory service during which the Choir sang a

number of eclectic musical offerings, notably Haydn’s rousing anthem Insanae et vanae curae. We returned to the Cathedral the following weekend to sing all three Sunday services while the Cathedral’s Choir was away. This was a marathon task but very rewarding and the congregations and clergy were highly appreciative. Term was rounded off by a well-attended concert given by the Choir plus musical solos from other members of the College. Easter term saw a slightly reduced number of Chapel services due to exams but highlights were the joint Ascension Day service with St John’s when the capacity of our Chapel was stretched to the limit. A pre-Summer Tour concert included some secular fayre, which went down very well with the audience. Our concerts appear to be drawing good numbers and these will become regular features of the Choir’s calendar in future years. The last major event of the year was our Summer Tour, this year to Jersey, where a

good time was certainly had by all. Performances were held in a bar for some of the College’s alumni, in the beautiful Methodist Church in St Aubin’s Bay to a very appreciative and capacity audience, and finally a Sung Eucharist in the island’s main parish church in St Helier. In between, time was made for visits to the famous Gerald Durell Jersey Zoo and Jersey War Tunnels, a barbecue, not to mention dusk and dawn swims in the sea! Plans for next summer’s USA tour to Chicago are already well under way. The College is very grateful to all its Choir members, both voluntary members and our scholars, for all the time they put into rehearsing and performing and for the dedication needed to reach the high standard we achieve. The College and Choir is also hugely grateful to the many alumni who support the Choir financially through their gifts, allowing us to make awards to our core of Choral and Organ Scholars. Thank you. Roger Muttitt BMus, MA, ARCO Director of Music

Boat Club For planning reasons we have postponed developing a new facility on Chad's Paddock for now. However, last year a tree fell on our current boathouse meaning that it had to be demolished. During the insurance claim process we discovered that the land on which our current boathouse is situated, and the land surrounding it, does actually belong to St Chad's rather than St John's as we had previously thought. Land ownership was one of the reasons why we wanted to build a new boathouse on the Paddock so finding out we own the land further up the riverbank led us to decide to rebuild a new boathouse on the site of the current boathouse instead; however, this will only able to be a onestorey building. With the generous gifts we have received from Alumni, and the insurance sum, we will be able not only to build a new boathouse but also buy three new boats for the club. At the present time we are waiting for the planning process to conclude so that building can proceed. We very much hope that this will be completed before the beginning of next academic year. Thank you your patience.

This year St Chad's College Boat Club, in spite of the adversity we have faced not yet having a boathouse, has gone from strength to strength. Thanks to the tireless work of our Men's and Women's Captains, almost all of our fresher members have remained loyal and enthusiastic, even though crews have had to go up to Durham Amateur Rowing Club (which has kindly stored our boats for us) at the Racecourse in order to row. Due to the dedication of all the coxes and coaches Chad's has managed to show that, while a small club, we are still worthy competitors. This was evident in the Durham College regattas with successes such as our Men's 1st Novice IV coming sixth in the long course event despite broken steering. Head Season saw the senior crews travel around the North of England to compete successfully; hopefully next year we can take Chad's crews once again down to the Thames for the Head of the River races. But it was Regatta Season where Chad's really shone this year. Despite keen crews outnumbering available boats, this did not stop every crew giving every race their all. Next year we will be able to have more crews racing, as we will have two new IVs

generously funded by gifts from two alumni and a secondhand VIII kindly funded by a gift from a member of the SCR. Highlights this year also include our Women’s Senior IV winning their first regatta at York by a very comfortable margin. This means that our top boat Anna Roots is as yet undefeated at this regatta. The composite VIII composed of Chad's, Castle and Mary's men won their category at Durham Regatta and the Chad's victory against John's in the Chad's/John's day boat race was a great Chad's win. Thank you to all alumni who have supported SCCBC with your generous gifts throughout this year and in previous years; hopefully with a new boathouse and three new boats we will be able to build on our successes and report a strong performance in 12 months’ time. Isobel Lyon-Maris (Captain, SCCBC)

Anna Roots (née Townsend) began her glittering rowing career at St Chad's in 1998 while studying geography. After leaving Durham she went on to win gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Rowing Championships in Canada. Tragically, Anna was killed in an accident in 2014 during a charity cycle ride from John O'Groats to Lands' End to raise money for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. In her memory, Anna's family has generously donated a new IV to the College Boat Club. They travelled to Durham last year to take part in its blessing, naming, and launch. The Principal, Dr Masson, spoke of the impact news of Anna's passing had had on her predecessor, Dr Joe Cassidy. One of Anna's friends spoke about her and Anna’s time at Chad's and how much they had both loved it. The boat was then blessed by the Chaplain, Dr Ashley Wilson, and named by Anna's husband, Ian Roots, with the traditional bottle of champagne poured over the bow where lettering spells out her name. A mixed crew from the boat club proceeded to take Anna for her maiden voyage to applause from those gathered on the bank. Over lunch Anna's friends and family heard about the Boat Club's hopes for the future, strengthened by the beautiful new IV. Following Anna Roots’ sad death, her friends from Chad’s organised an evening in her honour. With the money raised the Boat Club has been presented with a fine silver cup which will be awarded each year, in memory of Anna, to the Boat Club’s most improved rower.

College Scholarships & Shattock Family Scholarship

Matthew Shattock St Chad’s Politics 1980-83

“I am convinced that this is a very worthy cause. This scholarship programme aims to support those without the full means but with the unquestionable ability to benefit from the collegiate education which has shaped my own life and career indelibly. I had the benefit of a fully funded education at Durham and this turned out to be a life-changing experience for me. I hope to contribute to the same opportunity for others at St Chad’s College.”

The Shattock Family Scholar 2016-2019 Ermos has now completed his first year as a Liberal Arts student at St Chad’s. He has already been making his mark: he gave the Toast to the Immortal Memory at the College Burns’ Supper in January and is already a passionate Chadsian. Thanks to the generosity of Matthew Shattock and his family he has been awarded a scholarship worth £3,000 for each year of his undergraduate degree course. Ermos is an accomplished violinist who started to play at the age of eight and was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain for four years. One of his challenges is the cost of combining his degree with his musical ambitions; a student loan does not cover violin lessons. Being awarded this scholarship, however, will mean that Ermos will be able to study with the coleader of the Northern Sinfonia at the Sage in Gateshead and continue to be a leading member of the Durham University Orchestral Society. “Music to me”, comments Ermos, “whether listening or making it, brings people together whatever their background. So, whilst the scholarship will immensely benefit me personally, I also know I will use it to live up to our College motto: ‘Non vestra sed vos’ – ‘Not what you have but who you are’.

Dr Joe Cassidy Memorial Bursaries Dr Joe Cassidy was Principal of St Chad’s College from 1997 until his death in 2015. He was passionate about St Chad’s being able to offer students the support they need to succeed. He believed that anyone with aptitude and promise should have the opportunity to become part of an academic community like St Chad’s, whatever their background. These Bursaries, which bear his name, are funded through generous gifts from St Chad’s alumni, fellows and friends, and are intended to reflect Dr Cassidy’s personality and principles, and celebrate his achievements. Recipients should demonstrate a commitment to social justice, a proven appetite for intellectual curiosity, and academic and community engagement.

Recipients 2016-2017

Third year Law finalist Marianne Holbrook has been a volunteer teacher in Malawi, Senegal and South Africa where, she says, her “interest in promoting human rights and justice in the face of political instability and in socially complex environments developed.” She is hoping to pursue a career in economic and foreign aid policy development with the UN. Marianne applied for the Joe Cassidy award so that she could further her interests in social justice and continue to undertake volunteer and internship positions. One of our first three Joe Cassidy Memorial Bursary recipients, Marianne received £1,000 to help her through her final year.

& Bursaries Elizabeth Griffiths Scholarship Stephanie has just completed her first year as a Liberal Arts student. For Stephanie, receiving a scholarship from St Chad’s means that she can be fully involved in College and wider university life and work, and not have to take on yet more hours in her part-time on-line tutoring job. Stephanie said, “I recently participated in a ‘Rice and Beans’ challenge where we ate only plain rice and beans for a week to raise awareness of food poverty and money for Tearfund. Being the recipient of a scholarship will help me to do more volunteering in social action projects within Durham”.

Nathaniel is the first member of his family to attend university and wants to make the most of the opportunities that both his Cell Biology degree and being at St Chad’s can offer. He volunteers in a local youth club when at home and is fully involved in College life at St Chad’s during term time: “I greatly enjoy everyday life around College and genuinely feel a part of a college family in ways friends at other universities cannot experience.” Like many students today, Nathaniel is worried about being able to afford living out of College next year; he said, “This Joe Cassidy Scholarship will make a significant difference to my time at university, in relieving the distraction of financial worries and allowing me to embrace what Chad’s has to offer.”

The Revd Alec Griffiths, who celebrated 50 years as a priest in 2016, has very generously provided a scholarship fund at St Chad’s in memory of his late wife, Elizabeth. In the last few years the scholarship has been awarded to post-graduate students studying for a one-year taught or research Masters in the Faculty of Arts. Fr Alec trained for ordination at St Chad’s before The Revd Alec Griffiths parish ministry in Glasgow and Greenock, and then hospital St Chad’s chaplaincy in London. In Theology 1960-65 retirement he lives in Largs.

Elizabeth Griffiths Scholar 2016-17 I was delighted to be given the opportunity to continue my studies at Chad's this year through an MA in Economic and Social History. My thesis focuses on how ordinary people in the 16th, 17th and 18th Centuries argued with each other, and what this can tell us about early modern legalism. At this time ordinary people appealed to authorities locally - older, richer, male members of the parish - to resolve arguments. They also, understandably, tried to avoid long journeys to the local court. Thus, there existed a set of parish customs that stressed order and local reconciliation. We could call these customs an 'alternative legal culture'; alternative, that is, to the more centralised court system. At St Chad's I have been the MCR's Academic Affairs Officer - promoting interdisciplinary discussion in the College, organising several research forums, and publishing Foundation, our research journal. It's been a great role to have; proving that Chad's is a place where we still value expertise, learning and conversation.

Thank you to all alumni and friends who support our Scholarships and Bursaries Fund at St Chad’s. Your support makes a great difference to our talented students.

Photograph: Â© Alamy

Iranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ironwoman

Shirin Gerami is sitting with officials of the International Triathlon Union. There’s a phone call. It’s an official from the Sports Ministry in Iran. Shirin has been given permission to race under the Iranian flag the following morning. But Shirin's story began many years before this moment. Born in Iran and brought up in the USA and the UK, after finishing her A levels Shirin Gerami came to St Chad's to study PPE. It was in Durham that she first tried triathlon, joining the University Triathlon Club. Shirin remembers that it was one of those things that people do at university - have a go at something; certainly something which is encouraged at St Chad's. She knew how to swim, knew how to ride a bike, and knew how to run, but she had never trained in any of them. For Shirin this wasn't a problem, it was an opportunity. It is a recurring theme in Shirin's outlook on life; that problems, even if they are brick walls, are surmountable given the right solution and the right attitude. After leaving St Chad's, her degree on her CV, Shirin returned to London wondering what to do next. One thing was certainly on the to-do list, to join a triathlon club; in fact for a while training also became her work when she took a job as a rickshaw rider. Her colleagues knew she had a passion for sport and work, her commitment to cycling locals and tourists around London was famous, but they didn't know that her motivation was to build up her strength for triathlon competition. From rickshaws, Shirin went on to work for an International NGO in London and kept training hard at her

swimming, cycling and running. It was around this time that her thoughts turned from pursuing triathlon as a pastime to something more serious. The modern triathlon, comprising swimming, running and cycling, was first staged in 1974 in San Diego, California. The International Triathlon Union (ITU) was founded in 1989 as the sport's governing body. The standard course for a triathlon is a 1.5km swim followed by a 40km bike ride and then a 10km run to the finish. The ITU organises races around the world for elite athletes and others based on sex and age group. In 2013 Shirin Gerami decided that she would enter the ITU women's triathlon world championships for her age-group which would be held on Sunday 15th September in Hyde Park, London - the last day of the 2013 season. The British team would be made up of members of triathlon clubs up and down the country - with places limited, competition to get into the team was strong. Would Shirin be able to qualify for GB? She had an idea: why not enter for Iran? This might have sounded straightforward for an Iranian citizen; but only if you were a man, because in Iran women couldn't enter triathlons. In fact, sporting opportunities for women in Iran were, then, very limited. Women's sport began to be encouraged a little more in the mid-90s when Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was President, but progress was slow. Only five women competed for Iran in the three Summer Olympic Games between 2000 and 2008, and only eight women competed in 2012, such were the religious and cultural restrictions; and no woman had ever before represented Iran in triathlon. It is obvious from her words and thoughts that Shirin Gerami loves Iran; she also respects its traditions and cultural expectations. So, it was obvious to her that she should contact the authorities in Tehran for permission to enter the Hyde Park event representing Iran. Perhaps inevitably, however, permission was refused. The reason given was not the sports in question, nor the mixed-sex environment of the event, but because of the type of clothing worn by triathletes - the standard sportswear for women for cycling, running and especially swimming did not meet the requirements of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Shirin's response to the response of the Iranian authorities was typical of her attitude that problems are just questions looking for solutions. As she said in a 2015

Photograph: © Alamy

Huw Fairclough / Shutterstock.com

interview with '220triathlon' magazine, "They didn't think it'd be possible whilst adhering to the dress code. My view was: 'if it's only the clothes, surely there's a solution?'" Shirin's solution to this was simple: find some clothing which was acceptable to the authorities in Tehran. Not finding anything suitable off the peg, Shirin began working with sports suppliers to find a costume which would meet the Iranian government's requirements. For months Shirin corresponded by email with the Sports Ministry in Tehran, but permission did not come. She flew to Iran for a meeting taking a suitcase of sample clothing. But still no permission. Finally, she took instructions from the Sports Ministry to a garment maker in Tehran to make clothing which would be acceptable. One hurdle overcome. Another issue, however, was raised - what would happen at the point at which Shirin would emerge from the swim section and have to change into dry clothes for the cycle section? Once again Shirin found a solution; the ITU agreed that for the competition a tent would be put up for Shirin to use to change clothes. But still Shirin did not have official permission from Tehran to race. And so, on the night of Saturday 14th September 2013, a few hours before the race would start, Shirin waited in Hyde Park, almost ready to give up hope. Then a phone call came direct from the Sports Ministry in Tehran. She could race the following day under the Iranian flag. Hardly believing it, Shirin knew she could race when an email then came through from Tehran with confirmation. It was 2am in Iran. Almost unsurprisingly by this stage, on the morning of the race, another stumbling-block was spotted: the tent put up for Shirin to use to change clothes from the swimming to cycling section was a few meters away from the water - she would be seen as she emerged. The solution? A poncho. Waking up her neighbours at daybreak to find someone who could lend her one, Shirin made it to

the start line at 7am. Already exhausted and emotional even before the race had started, she had made it - the first ever woman to represent Iran in Triathlon. Given the nature of the build up to the Hyde Park race Shirin's training programme was severely compromised, so it was somewhat inevitable that she would finish at the back of the field. She came home 76th out of 77, but that wasn't important. What was important was that she had been able to compete. Interviews and media interest followed, including an interview on the BBC and a tweet from the President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani: "Shirin Gerami. 1st female triathlete to have competed in world championship wearing Iran's colours #GenderEquality".

Shirin had already decided to give up her job at an International Development NGO to concentrate on being an athlete full-time, and to use being an athlete to continue to pursue her passion for international development and the #GenderEquality of which Hassan Rouhani had spoken. Shirin's love of her Iran means that, even though she often finds competing in Triathlon an administrative struggle, she is, seemingly, not critical of her country's government, accepting, as she is, of its culture and customs. She focuses on finding ways to ensure that social values do not hinder development of opportunities in sport for Iranian women. After London, Shirin's next planned race was in Edmonton, Canada. Again there were administrative difficulties which overshadowed her training; permission to race was again only given just hours before the race was due to start. But her time improved and she finished 52nd out of 63 entrants. The special design of her clothing certainly helped her performance in Edmonton, but crucial time could have been saved in the transitions between triathlon sections if her sportswear met the requirements of Iran's modesty regulations. Shirin now works with a product design company in Cardiff to provide her with her kit. They are able to produce outfits which are lightweight, breathable and conceal her hair, skin and silhouette. So, technology is playing its part as well; providing materials which are quickdrying and light for competition but also enveloping enough to meet the requirements of athletes who either need or want to cover their bodies. But the stresses of getting permission from the Government in Iran before every race, Shirin freely admits in her blog, sometimes left her "in an emotional tangle". "It is not", she wrote, "that I didn't want to continue racing, but the whole admin and logistics side, the incertitude, not having permission until the last second, [was] getting far too overwhelmingly stressful." Even Shirin was having thoughts about giving up and reverting to a 'normal' life. What kept her going, and indeed, re-inspired her love of being an athlete and love of representing Iran, was an invitation to take part in a BBC World service programme called 'The Conversation'. In the programme two women from different countries and cultures talk about the work and experience which connects them. Shirin's conversation was with Paula Newby-Fraser, a South

@ShirinGeramiTri shirin.co

Huw Fairclough / Shutterstock.com

African 'Ironman' athlete - one of the world's most successful triathletes in this version of the sport. What Shirin learned from Paula was: "The universe will always show us the way if we are willing to see; let the opportunities come to you." What Paula Newby-Fraser also did was to introduce Shirin to the world of Ironman Triathlon. Ironman Triathlon is a more extreme test of an athlete than standard triathlon. It's a 2.4 mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112 mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride and a marathon of 26.2 miles (42.16 km). Shirin's next goal was to compete in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii on 8th October 2016. In her blog six months before the race Shirin wrote: "I have no idea what the next six months have in store for me. The journey has barely started. Authorities in Iran are unsure whether to support me. The quest to find the right expertise to design suitable clothes for Kona has taken me across a few continents and has not borne fruit yet. [And] can my body cope with the stresses and demands of one of the most challenging sporting events in the world whilst dressed in full body clothing?" The challenge of Kona is the climate: 35 degrees Celsius, 70% humidity, high winds. To finish the race Shirin would have to make sure she stayed cool and crossed the line within the time limit of seventeen hours. She would have to wear more and looser clothes than other competitors - not ideal in the heat and the wind - so further work with the clothing designers would be needed. But of course, this is Shirin. Permission from Iran came through a few days before the Kona race, so no last minute anxiety this time, and various clothing designers and manufactures had been working on her kit. Shirin finished the race, her first Ironman Triathlon, in 13 hours and 11 minutes. She described the race as 'beautiful'.

For Shirin racing is not just about her success. She is open about her preference not to 'cover' in her everyday life in London but supports women who choose to wear a hijab. Shirin's mission is to ensure that "What we wear does not define what we can do." This is what she told Cristina Goyanes in one of her most recent interviews in Teen Vogue in July 2017. Shirin is adamant that if women want to cover themselves, for religious reasons, for health reasons, for self-confidence - not just Muslims - then this should not prevent them from doing anything they want to do. "For me", Shirin told Teen Vogue, "it was the realisation that due to the lack of covered clothing options in sports, we might be excluding a huge global community of women who may wish to participate in athletics, but currently can't." Shirin continues to train and to race in triathlons around the world; she continues to challenge herself and to talk publicly about her motivation. She continues to be an inspiration to women around the world, and particularly women in Iran, to participate in sport and feel comfortable and unencumbered in clothing which is appropriate for them. In her interview with '220 Triathlon' magazine she said: "Knowing the culture of Iran, and knowing lots of people who cover, I totally love and respect their beliefs. And if, through my racing, women with these beliefs can also participate in sport, then this is exactly what I set out to do." Earlier this year Shirin was named one of the 'BBC 100 Women' - 2017's list of '100 influential and inspirational women around the world' - this will surely be only one of many accolades that Shirin Gerami will receive, both on and off the sports track, throughout her career. But in spite of her achievements so far, Shirin remains patiently humble; describing herself she says: "I am merely an ordinary woman playing with life the way we all do, in our different ways and forms."

College Research Policy & Practice is a multidisciplinary research group based at St Chad's College. This group, like the College, is committed to promoting social justice in the UK and beyond. It undertakes applied research, policy analysis and evaluation that aims to help policy makers and practitioners carry out their work more effectively. Clients include charitable foundations, national and local government, and the private sector. Much of the research is focused on the North of England, but several national and international studies have also been undertaken. Who runs the North East now? Professor Fred Robinson is working on a new study looking at structures and processes of governance in North East England. The study will be finding out who runs public services in the region and assessing how accountable they are. It will be looking at different models of governance - some elected, others appointed. It will be asking what works best and how we can make governance better. It is certainly a timely project; there is considerable disenchantment with the people who run things. Many people distrust elites, politicians and the 'establishment'. There are widespread feelings of powerlessness and alienation - as the EU Referendum demonstrated. But there is no simple answer to the problems of governance. Electing people to run things like councils or the police seems attractive, but turnouts can be so low that democratic legitimacy appears limited. Appointing people to run services - the boards of NHS Trusts, or the governing bodies of universities, for example - may bring in expertise, but can be seen to be about recruiting the 'usual suspects'. And referendums making decisions by asking the people - don't seem to work all that well either. Professor Robinson wants the research to inform, but also to be the basis for challenge and reform. The project is being funding by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, the Institute for Local Governance and Newcastle law firm Muckle LLP. It started in September 2016 and will run for a year. It is a practical project, which aims to encourage better practice and make governance more accountable, transparent and representative. Citizens House, Consett Fred Robinson and Chad's Research Fellow Ian Zass-Ogilvie have been working closely with Citizens House, a community group in Consett, helping it to develop and expand its community centre. Initially, Fred and Ian helped Citizens House take over responsibility for their building as part of Durham County Council's asset transfer programme. Subsequently, they helped develop plans to improve the building

and apply for funding. The original idea was to reorder the internal layout and build on to the existing building. But mine workings were discovered under the site. Partners worked together to come up with a radical â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Plan Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that involves demolishing the existing building, stabilising the site, and building a brand new Citizens House. There were a lot of hoops to jump through. There have been difficult meetings and times when it looked like it wasn't going to work out. A great deal of work had to be done to develop plans that really could bring out the potential of Citizens House, making it a beacon of hope and community support in Consett. Importantly, The Big Lottery has agreed to provide most of the funding for the new building - a major grant of more than ÂŁ650,000. Fred commented: "We are delighted that Consett is going to get a new Citizens House - it's a wonderful project. We've been glad to play our part in helping to make it happen and we will continue to offer our support. This is a project that shows how research skills can be used to make a real, tangible difference - and it shows how we at St Chad's can respond to the needs and challenges that our region faces". Third Sector Trends Professor Tony Chapman has continued to develop his longrunning research studies on trends in voluntary and community organisations - known as the Third Sector. Tony's research started in 2008 and covered the North East and Cumbria. Since then, there have been further surveys and the work has been extended to cover the whole of the North of England. The work analyses survey data from thousands of organisations and is widely regarded as a reliable source of information about the scale, scope and dynamics of the Third Sector. The research, which has been generously funded in recent years by Northern Rock Foundation, the Community Foundation in Tyne and Wear and Northumberland, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, IPPR North and Garfield Weston Foundation, shows that organisations are resilient and creative, but some are undoubtedly struggling. This detailed and comprehensive research should help policymakers and funders as they seek to support and strengthen the Third Sector.

A Degree of Creativity Where has your time at Chad’s led you? Has your career led directly on from your degree subject? Or have you chosen a different path? Has a hobby become a profession? Unlike some universities most degree courses at Durham are not strictly vocational, apart perhaps from Health or Education. But Durham can boast that its graduates are perhaps the best qualified because not only do they study meticulously in their chosen subject but also because our unique college system is a source of academic and social learning in a diverse community environment of opportunity, self-discovery and creativity. This is very much at the heart of how at St Chad's we aim to support and inspire our students. It is, therefore, not surprising to find that many Chad’s alumni are working in some aspect of what has come to be known as the ‘creative industries’, whether music, theatre, art, writing or indeed, food. Here are just a few.

Thomas Brumby

Jack Lury Those who came to our College Chadstide ‘Formal’ Dinner in London in March this year will surely have been impressed by the quality of the food. Our head chef that evening was Jack Lury who studied Combined Social Sciences at St Chad’s from 2009 to 2012. Jack says: “Whilst food and mealtimes were always important while growing up, cooking was not something I’d ever considered as a profession. In fact, it was not until I was at university that the notion of becoming a chef really took hold. As it turns out, although staying up all night to learn to make bread and de-bone poussin isn’t necessarily conducive to academic achievement, it is, however, conducive to making good bread and having a de-boned poussin. After university, I trained at ‘Tante Marie Culinary Academy’ and since then have worked across the whole spectrum of the food industry in the UK, from Michelin starred kitchens such as ‘Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons’, to street food stalls and pop-up residencies. I now work as a freelance private chef, run a supper club and write restaurant reviews.” But Jack is also the lead guitarist in a rock band – The Blinding Lights. Earlier this year the band released a new single called ‘The Refugee’ to coincide with Refugee Week and to support the work of the charity Refugee Action. www.anepicuristentertains.com www.theblindinglights.co.uk

If you have visited College in recent years you might have seen our collection of paintings by the Russian artist Kirill Sokolov. Born in Russia in 1930, Sokolov came to the UK in 1974 with his wife, Avril Pyman, who became a member of Durham University's Russian Department. He died in 2004. When walking past Avril Pyman's house in 2009, Thomas Brumby, an English Literature and Philosophy student at St Chad's, was intrigued by a painting he could see inside. This fascination resulted in a major exhibition of Sokolov's work on religious themes at St Chad's in November and December of 2009. A number of these paintings is still publicly displayed in the College, thanks to Thomas, who now works as a music producer in Glasgow. During his time in Durham, Thomas helped establish the University's Fine Art Society, which organised exhibitions, provided creative workshops for students, as well as opening a studio space for the visual arts. Thomas also played in various musical projects, from starting bands to being a session player in the Folk Music Society. After graduation Thomas decided to pursue his creative interests and took up a place to study Architecture at the Glasgow School of Art. During his years in Glasgow Thomas pushed further into the worlds of music and architecture, performing regularly on Glasgow's live music scene, as well as working on the redevelopment of Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall, completing a final year thesis on Acoustics and Design. Thomas decided to design and build his own music studio in Glasgow and open a music production business, Thomas Brumby Music and Sound, on graduating from the Art School. He now works as a music producer and composer for the moving image on a range of projects that includes the recent release of The Story Goes On, a single

from Scottish singer-songwriter Emma Gillespie. The Story Goes On, which aims to raise money for St Vincent’s Hospice in Glasgow, an organisation that supports people with terminal cancer, can be downloaded from all major online stores. The track is inspired by the death of one of Emma’s close friends from cancer in 2016. www.thomasbrumby.com www.facebook.com/thomasbrumbymusic

Sean Kelly Sean Kelly left Chad's in 1983 with a General Arts degree (Economics, French and Russian Studies), then spent 20 years denying his creative urge. Editing and writing for the ‘80s Chad’s students’ magazine The Stag had been the highlight of his time at Durham, but he admits he lacked the confidence to pursue a writing career. Instead, he became an accountant. Success followed, becoming an ad agency Finance Director at the age of 28. His aim had been to become a copywriter, but regular number-crunching promotions were irresistible. Fast forward. Aged 40, Sean’s creative itch became too strong. He took creative writing classes and quit a finance director role to teach poetry workshops in primary schools. Then he raised finance to set up his film production company, Antshake. Seeking finance to make films led Sean to a three month contract running a film fund for Newcastle investment firm Northstar, and acting as Executive Producer on eight feature films. Seven years later, Sean is still investing Northstar’s money. But he is now also a writer, with two feature film scripts under option by producers. He has written short films, biographies, a TV documentary, and is currently working on a musical, and a ‘Downton Abbey-scale’ TV drama. Now also a College Tutor at St Chad’s, Sean actively encourages students to learn who they are, to discover their passion, then to have the courage to pursue it in any way possible. He welcomes enquiries from anyone seeking advice on pursuing a creative career. www.imdb.me/seankellywit

Gwyneth Herbert Letters I haven’t Written, Gwyneth Herbert’s 7th album, will be out soon. Her first album, First Songs, written with fellow Durham student Will Rutter, came out in 2003. While an English Literature student at St Chad’s College Gwyneth continued to pursue a musical career that began at the age of three when she took up the piano. Her classical grounding, as well as playing and singing in bands and making demos, meant that she could have gone straight into the music business, but it was a love of literature, not music, that drew her to Durham in 1999. The music scene in the North East, however, soon captured Gwyneth’s talent and she and Will Rutter began performing in bars and clubs in Durham and Newcastle as Jazz duet Black Coffee. After graduating, London was the obvious place for Black Coffee to try and make its name, and through blatant self-publicity a gig at the iconic jazz venue ‘Soho Pizza Express’ brought not Black Coffee but Gwyn & Will to a wider audience, including Jamie Cullum. Picked up by Universal Classics & Jazz, Gwyneth released her first solo album in 2004, Bittersweet and Blue, to wide critical acclaim. With this backing Gwyneth was tipped to be the new ‘whichever Jazz great you’d like to pick’. But the creative limitations and marketing restraints of a big label quickly made her realise that if she wanted to pursue an eclectic variety of music-making on her own terms, she would have to go it alone. Soon after, Gwyneth left Universal to produce, and self-finance, another album, Between Me and the Wardrobe, all her own work, which she recorded in three days. Since then more albums and tours have followed, she has co-written several musicals and collaborated in theatre projects including, most recently, as composer, musical director and voice of the title character, the Bristol Old Vic’s production of The Snow Queen. She appears regularly on BBC Radio including Radio 3’s Jazz Library and Late Junction, on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and is acknowledged as one of Jamie Cullum’s favourite artists; she appeared on his Radio 2 show in session on 11th July this year. Gwyneth will be performing on Radio 3’s Jazz Line-up live at the Edinburgh Fringe in August. gwynethherbert.com @gwynethherbert

Africa: giving a hand up St Chad's College has had a partnership with St Matthew's High School in Keiskammahoek, South Africa, a remote village in the Eastern Cape, since 2009. The initial inspiration for this project came from Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane (former Archbishop of Cape Town) who spoke at a conference of Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion (CUAC) which Dr Joe Cassidy, our former Principal, attended. Archbishop Ndungane challenged the delegates to support education in South Africa. Subsequent conversations involving the Bishop of Newcastle in the UK and the Bishop of Grahamstown in South Africa identified St Matthew's High School, Keiskammahoek as a possible partner for St Chad's College. Dr Cassidy visited the school shortly afterwards and resolved to send Chad's students (and recent graduates) to St Matthew's on a regular basis to support its teaching. Volunteers from St Chad's are now also regularly involved in supporting teachers in a number of other schools in Grahamstown: Ntsika High School, Josa Township, Good Shepherd Primary School and Nombulelo Secondary School. Our volunteers St Chad’s now sends groups of student each year. While there, the volunteers help out in the classroom through teaching, mentoring, by organising sports, and initiating and supporting all manner of extra-curricular activities, including music and drama. Arriving at St Matthew’s for the first time in 2016 one of the Chad’s volunteers, current second year anthropology student Issy Davies, wrote: Feeling immediately conspicuous we cast around looking for signs of St Matthew’s school, where we were to work for the next five weeks. With no warning the road became dust and we bounced into the low hills which are home to about 10,000 people. The rolling pastures are gorged by a stream and low trees, frequented by roaming cattle, and hyperactive children. The slopes feature scattered concrete homes painted pink, orange, yellow, turquoise or white and swirling with goats, cows, stray dogs, and the odd person. The dust from our tyres adds a warm haze to it all. The trees get bigger and more imposing - a sign of an old colonial area - and blue pinafored girls linger everywhere. We'd arrived at St Matthews. We trundled to our house in the teachers' village and leapt out of the car to unbend ourselves. Our house is marvellous. All due to ‘The Calibar Foundation’ and ‘Sifunda Kunye’, which is a charity focused on investing in historic African education and St Matthews has the good fortune of

being a former missionary school, dating back to 1853, which means our house was freshly renovated. ‘Sifunda Kunye’ is also the charity behind the computer labs not only at St Matthew’s but also at Good Shepherd, the primary school we worked at in Grahamstown. However, the rest of the complex was not in such good repair. Huge teaching blocks had been abandoned. One grand building, with Victorian style high ceilings and Art Deco window frames, was roofless and the doors were blocked up with hundreds of textbooks. Horses, pigs, and cows kept the grass at a neat level; however, the main part of the school was highfenced and looked spotless. We moved in to our house just as the sun was setting, tired, excited, and clueless as to how our first day at a new school would shape up. This year’s volunteers, Ali Breeze, Pheobe Lundy and Liberty Rowe, have just sent their first report: After arriving in Grahamstown we spent the week getting to know the country and preparing for our placement at St Matthew's High School. The cold definitely took some getting used to - it's winter here and after a rare rain storm we took refuge in a pub following a power cut. As part of our cultural induction we have participated in isiXhosa lessons, one of the eleven official languages and mother tongue of most of the students we will be teaching. We learned how to introduce ourselves and practiced pronunciation, especially the 'click' sounds. We’ve also been running winter holiday sessions in Maths and English Literacy for Grade 12 students preparing for their NBT (National Benchmarking Test) at Good Shepherd School in Grahamstown. We learnt from Prof Kenneth Ngcoza at Rhodes University about the challenge of education in disadvantaged areas of South Africa, and the strategies Rhodes is using to improve access to education and opportunity. The reality is that pupils from poorer backgrounds have to work significantly harder than those in private schools to get into university.

Many thanks to Chad’s alumni and friends whose gifts help to support this important College project.

p could no longer support them, suffering starvation, physical and sexual abuse at the hands of gangs or sometimes their own families - that she felt compelled to do something. Mary found a modest property to rent and initially gave shelter to just six boys: Restart Africa had been born. The original buildings were in a poor state of repair but the children were fed regular meals, received an education and were safe from the horrors they had endured on the streets. As time went on Restart also started to take in girls, many of whom had suffered horrific sexual abuse. The number of children eventually swelled to over 100, with ages ranging from just a few months to late teens. The old Restart building was bursting at the seams and became unfit for purpose, but just before Christmas 2014 the children moved into a brand new Restart Centre opened by the British High Commissioner. I first visited Restart in June 2015 and was bowled over by the warmth of my reception, and by the smart new buildings, but above all by the enthusiasm and welcoming smiles of the children. I immediately found myself being When I was a student at St Chad’s I had very little involvement with Africa other than having a ring side seat when the President of the Union Society asked the South African Ambassador (who was then a representative of a country still under apartheid) to speak during the same week as the Archbishop of Cape Town was being granted the freedom of the City of Durham. This was, in reality, a coincidence but there were many who refused to believe that. Even Radio 4’s Today programme investigated whether the invitation by the Union Society was a carefully planned slight on a man foremost amongst those who were campaigning to end apartheid in South Africa and who had given his name in popular parlance to what I was convinced back then was my respectable degree. Since my happy days at St Chad’s I have worked in education and in recent years have been a regular visitor to Kenya in my role as Admissions Tutor at Shrewsbury School. Two hours north of Nairobi, in a small town called Gilgil, there is a prep school I visit called Pembroke House, and it was here that I was first introduced to the inspirational Mary Coulson and Restart Africa. Mary’s work with orphans and abandoned children in Gilgil led to the beginnings of a beacon of hope for children who, until their introduction to Restart Africa, have none. I was lucky enough to stay with Mary and hear from her at first-hand how she came to start from scratch the charity that now feeds, clothes, educates and, above all, offers sanctuary and security to over a hundred children. Following the horrific post-election violence in Kenya in 2008, which resulted in over a thousand deaths and more than 500,000 people being displaced from their homes and villages, Mary was so horrified by the growing number of street children who ended up in Gilgil - orphaned, abandoned, or driven out of their homes by parents who

taken by the hand and proudly shown around the premises by a little girl who I’ll call Emma. She was very keen on my hat and laughed a lot. She told me that the best thing about living at Restart is that she feels loved. Another little boy I met told me that he loves his life now as he can play football and he knows that people care about him. He actually reiterated those sentiments in front of a judge who was trying his father for murdering his mother. The Judge, wiping away his tears, told the courtroom that Restart Africa had clearly done a fantastic job looking after this young boy who had seen so much violence and experienced so much suffering at such a young age. Mary Coulson has been awarded the MBE for her work with Restart Africa. I am now a Trustee of the charity which runs Restart Africa; if you are looking for a rewarding challenge do think about volunteering or raising money for the orphanage. Giles Bell gjfb@shrewsbury.org.uk www.restartafrica.org www.facebook.com/restartafrica

Events Diary Alumni Events Saturday 2nd September, 1pm North West Alumni Gathering On the Wirral With thanks to Bill Wyllie (St Chad's 1968-71) Thursday 21st September, 6.30pm 1904 Society gathering Reed Smith, Broadgate Tower, London, EC2A 2RS. With thanks to Charles Hewetson (St Chad's 1983-86) Saturday 23rd September, 12noon Horsfall Society (Legacy) Lunch In College. 22nd - 24th September Decades Reunion Weekend For all MATRICULATION years ending 5, 6, 7 & 8. 21st & 22nd October Alumni Choir singing at Leicester Cathedral Saturday Evensong 5.30pm; Sunday Eucharist 10.30am With thanks to Dr Chris Ouvry-Johns (St Chad's 2003-07) 3rd - 5th November Returners' Weekend in College Late November/Early December Westminster Alumni Group winter gathering (date and venue to be confirmed) Wednesday 13th December, 7pm Advent Carol Service Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair, London. W1K 2PA. Sunday 10th December, 7.30pm College Advent Procession, Durham Cathedral Early February 2018 (date to be confirmed) Law Alumni Group meeting Foundry Chambers, 5-9 Quality Court, London. WC2A 1HP. With thanks to Jason Sugarman QC (St Chad's 1987-90) 8th - 11th March 2018 Chadstide alumni events in London ▪ Thames riverboat cruise ▪ Chadstide reception and lecture ▪ Evensong for St Chad Full details to be confirmed. 14th & 15th July 2018 St Chad's College Choir sing at Chicago Cathedral With thanks to The Very Revd Dominic Barrington (Chaplain 1998-2003)

Decades Reunion 2017 22nd - 24th September For all matriculation years ending in 5,6,7 & 8 and anyone before 1960. All alumni who fit this description will already have been invited. Do sign up! We look forward to seeing you in September.

Alumni Groups Whitehall & Westminster Alumni Group For all alumni who work in politics, Civil Service, lobbying, journalism etc. with a connection to government. The group meets for networking events in London two or three times a year. Law Alumni Group A new group for all alumni who work in any aspect of the law. The first meeting will be in London in February 2018. More details to follow. Alumni Choir & Choir Association Formed in 2015 to support the College Choir, and to bring together former St Chad’s Choir members and alumni who sing, the Alumni Choir now sings together three times a year: at London Chadstide, at our College London Advent Carol Service and on one other occasion each year elsewhere in the country. Members and supporters generously contribute to our scholarships for current College Choir members. 1904 Society Our society which acknowledges the commitment to St Chad’s of JCR and MCR Exec committees, and other student officers, over the years. The society meets once a year alternately in Durham and London. Horsfall Society The College’s legacy club. The Society gathers for lunch with the Principal once a year; an opportunity for members to hear about the College’s plans, and for the College to thank those who have made a significant commitment to support St Chad’s in their will.

Keep in touch

For more information or to book for any of these events please see our website www.stchads.ac.uk

www.stchads.ac.uk +44(0)191 334 3326

Or contact Naomi Ireland-Jones Telephone: 0191 334 3326 Email: naomi.ireland-jones@durham.ac.uk

Development Director: Mark Roberts (St Chad’s 1991-94) Assistant: Naomi Ireland-Jones (St Chad’s 2013-16) St Chad’s College, 18 North Bailey, Durham, DH1 3RH.