“A COMMUNITY OF CHANGEMAKERS”

The Rt Hon. the Baroness Royall of Blaisdon

Principal, Somerville College Chair of Trustees

The Margaret Thatcher Scholarship Trust was formed 9 years ago on a promise: that we would honour the legacy of Britain’s first woman Prime Minister by supporting the brightest students who have triumphed against the odds to come to Oxford, and, in doing so, establish a community of leaders and change-makers.

From our origins under the leadership of my wise and learned predecessor Dr Alice Prochaska, we have grown rapidly towards the fulfilment of that promise. From working with the Carnegie Endowment to preserving and restoring the tropical forests of the Yucatan Peninsula, and from finding new insights in linguistics to creating spinouts with the potential to save the NHS over £1bn: our alumni are changing the game. This year’s ten new 2022 scholars (pg. 4) are now taking their first steps along this same path, one that leads into the courtrooms, boardrooms, newsrooms, hospitals, NGOs, schools, universities and governments around the world.

This path has always been shaped, guided and supported by you, our donors, patrons and trustees. Your support, whether in the form of endowing scholarships, leading events or offering sage advice, has been crucial in the success of this ambitious project.

Taking a step back to look at this group of people gives me a renewed appreciation for Lady Thatcher. While it is true that there are many points of politics on which we would have disagreed, there can be few other people whose memory can forge such a connection between the leaders of today and the leaders of tomorrow.

Our Thatcher Scholars embody those values and these aspirations for the future. They are academically excellent; they have shown they have the strength to triumph over adversity; and they are ambitious to find new insights and opportunities, whether in academia, the professions or on the ground. I hope that you enjoy reading more about them, and the year we have had, in these pages. At a time of such great uncertainty and insecurity – globally, economically, politically, and environmentally – they are exactly the people we need.