CUTHBERT’S CHRONICLE
S T C UTHBERT ’ S S OCIETY A LUMNI M AGAZINE I SSUE NO . 7 | EPIPHANY 2018
ST CUTHBERT ’S SOCIETY ALUMNI MAGAZINE
ISSUE NO. 7
EPIPHANY 2018
Rising above the clouds: the peaks of Kilimanjaro, taken by John Farrington. Read the story of his climb on pg.14
REMEMBERING BERNARD ROBERTSON
CUTH’S JCR
RESEARCH
OUTREACH
SPOTLIGHT
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Cuthbert’s Chronicle | Epiphany 2018 | Issue No. 7
WELCOME Contents 04
Bernard Robertson: A Tribute by Mark Rowland
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Society News
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JCR News
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Cuth’s Outreach
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Research Spotlight
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Alumni Association
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SCR
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Supporting Cuth’s
The Cuthbert’s Chronicle provides a window onto the activities and the achievements of the Cuth’s community both in Durham and around the world. In this edition, we look at the new outreach work of the JCR, led by Elena Martin, which brings arts and drama to schools in the local community, as well as the experiences of finalist Matt Asquith working for an NGO in Amman, Jordan. Our research spotlight focuses on the work of Flora Hetherington, who has recently completed a PhD in plant science. Plant science is at the forefront of research into the sustainable development of food supply and the challenges this faces from a rapidly growing human population. As many of you will already know, it is with great sadness that we must report the death of Bernard Robertson, who died on Monday 30th October, following a short illness. Mark Rowland’s fitting tribute to Bernard takes us through his life and contribution to the Society. A small selection of the memories and condolences we have received has been collected on page 7, which we hope testify to the impact Bernard had on generations of Cuth’s students.
have contributed enormously to life at Cuth’s and we are indebted to them for their years of service to the Society. We have also had to say goodbye to the Deputy Principal, Sharon Richardson, who decided to leave Cuth’s and the University last August. Sharon contributed to Cuth’s in many ways during her eleven years here: as well as promoting the arts through numerous exhibitions and the artist-inresidence scheme, she developed the careers and development programme as well as substantially expanding the This term has marked the end of an era mentoring programme. We wish her in a number of ways, most notably the well in all her future activities. death of Bernard Robertson who In terms of new arrivals, we welcomed played such an important role in shaping the fortunes of the Society, and over 400 Freshers this year and 140 also the Boat Club. We hope to start a new postgraduates, and as always our tireless Freps did a magnificent job of fundraising campaign soon for looking after them, though space was bursaries for students from very tight and we had to have three disadvantaged backgrounds, to be Formals to welcome them all. JCR named for Bernard and other past President Cat May and her Exec are Principals whose support and energetic and enterprising, as are our encouragement has meant so much to nearly forty sports teams and societies. so many students. Another seismic We look forward to seeing what they change is the retirement of Ann Peart will accomplish over the rest of the after nearly 50 years at Cuth’s, and of year. Joyce Elliott after over 30; they too
Our IAS Fellow Dr Kathryn Yusoff, a wide-ranging geographer, has participated in stimulating discussions on the new concept of the Anthropocene era, the environment, racism and feminism. Next term alumnus Matthew Thomas Morgan (Music, 2011) joins us for six months as our first musician in residence, so we look forward to an expansion of our already impressive musical activities. It has been a challenging term, but staff have, as always, pulled together to fill gaps and keep life running smoothly at Cuth’s. It was pleasing to hear Margaret Thompson say on her retirement (first working on Reception and then in catering) that Cuth’s is clearly the heart of the university. We agree!
Professor Elizabeth Archibald Principal
Front Cover: SCSBC Senate crew Nov 1954. L-R: Gerry Denning, Bernard Robertson, Albert Hodgson, Rex Rowbottom, and Keith Lightfoot .
Cuthbert’s Chronicle | Epiphany 2018 | Issue No. 7
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From Undergraduate to Principal: Remembering Bernard Robertson (1936-2017) Bernard Robertson died peacefully on the 30th October, aged 81. He was a Cuth’s man through and through. His association with the Society spanned over sixty years, as an undergraduate in the 1950s, a tutor, rowing coach, project manager, Vice-Principal, and twice as Principal. by Mark Rowland (Economics & Politics, 1968) Born in Middlesbrough, Bernard moved all over the North East because of his father’s work. After sixteen moves, the family finally settled in Durham. Bernard, aged 11, attended Durham Johnston Grammar School where he excelled in chemistry and rowing. His first experience of the Society was as a schoolboy, as the school stored their boats in the Society’s boathouse. Cuthbert’s oarsmen suggested to Bernard that he make the Society his first choice when applying for a university place—a destination realised when he joined to read Chemistry in October 1954. After Durham, Bernard joined Proctor and Gamble (P&G), based in Newcastle, and stayed with them for a 36-year career. As head of research and development, he travelled to P&G plants from the USA to Japan and had his own office in Brussels. Bernard met his wife Gwyneth at a bus stop. A conversation revealed that they lived just six doors apart. He invited her to a formal dance at Durham Castle and romance blossomed. They were wed in 1960, the start of 57 years of a happy and devoted marriage. The couple set up home in West Monkseaton before moving to Durham in 1967 and Bernard would spend the rest of his life in the city. In the late 1970s, Bernard was co-opted onto the St. Cuthbert’s Society Governing Body by the Principal, Professor Brooks. In the early 1990s, he became a tutor. Once he had retired from P&G in 1993, it was
hardly surprising that his old school and university friend Sam Stoker, Brooks’ successor, should ask him to come in ‘a couple of days per week to help (unpaid) with some projects’ as Development Manager. When Vice-Principal Mike Stacey returned to his Department in 1994, Bernard took on the role full time. He tackled the job with relish, providing the Society with valuable senior officer support and standing in for the Principal. As Vice-Principal for five years, Bernard became well-versed in the Society’s aims and objectives and gained experience of all aspects of running the Society, particularly working with senior officers of the University. He once admitted that he ‘probably stood on a few toes due to ignorance rather than a deliberate desire to be difficult!’ On Sam Stoker’s retirement in 1999, Bernard was confirmed as Principal by the University. He was the first non-academic to
be appointed by the Society as Principal and probably the first in the University to fill such a senior post. Stoker knew his man: ‘Bernard’s acceptance of his unpaid post as Society Development Manager was one of the most significant events in the recent history of the Society. His capacity to face problems and challenges calmly and effectively, and to
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Opposite: Bernard’s official Principal’s photograph Left: L-R Rex Rowbottom, Hugh Dawn, Bernard Robertson, Gerry Denning. Photo courtesy of Albert Hodgson (Geology, 1956). Below: L-R: Bernard Robertson, Gywneth Robertson, Ranald Michie, Leslie Brooks, and Joan Norton. Circa 1985. Photo courtesy of Stig Eide Sivertsen (Economics, 1984).
Services Department who looked after a growing residential portfolio day to day. Once again, Bernard’s flexible approach and willingness to adopt new procedures had proved an asset to the University.
produce solutions which were both imaginative and in line with the traditions and aspirations of staff and students, was unique. His progression to Vice-Principal and then Principal was no surprise to senior or junior members of the Society. Both appointments were greeted with acclaim.’ With P&G, Bernard had developed a handson management style which he would follow as Principal, allowing plans for the development of the Society to continue without delay or change. He was well aware of his main underlying task as Principal. The University was continuing to increase student numbers as the quickest way to expand income via government grants. The Society was the most flexible institution in the University as most of its members were in external accommodation. The Society found itself very much in the front line, having to
manage increases in its new student quota over several years in succession. Bernard adopted a ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way’ approach to admitting unprecedented numbers to the Society. During this period of expansion, Bernard reorganised secretarial and domestic staffing and secured the appointment of a senior tutor to spread the workload as the Society grew. From 2000 to 2002, the Society was given annual quotas of 380 to 390 students. This meant sending out around 2000 offers. The numbers actually joining rose to between 410 and 440. With just over 240 bed spaces and about 80 students living at home or in their own accommodation, the Society had to find some 100 extra rooms in city houses. The University’s Estates and Buildings Department organised the search among local landlords for properties to rent and agreed the contracts. Promising houses were vetted by the Society’s Domestic
In 1997, he started discussions with University officers about St. Cuthbert’s Society taking over the accommodation at Parsons Field House. An alternative proposal by the University that Cuthbert’s should move into Howlands Farm was seen off. Howlands was too far out and a move might well have meant vacating the Bailey, overwhelmingly recognised by Cuthbert’s people as the Society’s indisputable home. The University eventually agreed on Parsons Field, with its 470 bed spaces. However, first occupation was not scheduled until October 2005. Throughout Bernard’s years in office, St. Cuthbert’s Society was essentially dependent on income from just a minority of students who paid a full residential charge. By the turn of the century, this income had to cover administration and support services for over 1000 students and repairs, replacements, decoration and improvements for the Bailey and City houses. It fell well short which meant a considerable subsidy from the University which created a de facto measure of control over the Society. In 1999, Bernard spent £90,000 on refurbishment, mainly on updating student and office IT facilities. The following year, he spent a record £160,000. These expenditures helped ameliorate the impact of a residential fee increase imposed by the University which was well above inflation. Not surprisingly, the JCR were most unhappy about this and Bernard had to deploy his diplomatic skills in full to gain students’ acceptance—or rather acquiescence—about the short-term problems facing an expanding Society with a long-term residential solution still four to five years away. Bernard placed considerable emphasis on pastoral care, creating the role of student
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Cuthbert’s Chronicle | Epiphany 2018 | Issue No. 7
support officer to maintain welfare in the wake of a dearth of tutors. A highly successful drop-in service during office hours, backed by emergency support from senior officers out of hours, tackled financial, medical and personal problems. The Cuthbert’s support system worked so well that some colleges appointed their own student support officers After restructuring the traditional Governing Body as the Council of St. Cuthbert’s Society, Bernard retired as Principal at 65. He felt the creation of a Colleges Division by the University, which would extend central control over colleges, marked a good point at which to pass on the mantle. A new Principal with sufficient years of service ahead to see the Society to adopt them into effect while moving to Parsons Field. Bernard left the Society in good order. At 1054 members, it had become the largest institution in the University. It had more members than ever before and was operating within budget while improving facilities. He had played a huge role in planning the Parsons Field project and bringing it to the brink of fruition. According to Sam Stoker, ‘The period from Bernard’s initial unpaid part-time appointment to retirement covered a mere 10 years. Goodness knows what heights he would have reached in the University had he been appointed at an earlier date.’
A passion for rowing and St. Cuthbert’s Society Boat Club In an illustrious career on the water, Bernard represented school, college, university and home city, becoming Captain of Durham City Boat Club and chairing Durham Regatta and the North East Rowing Association. He coached Cuth’s crews for many years, sharing the work with his old school coach Stan Turner who had become a tutor at the Society. Tony Wells (History, 1969), a former JCR President and Captain of Boats, recalls: ‘Bernard Robertson was an archetype of generations of Cuth’s oarspersons since the 1950s. He was quintessentially a Boat Club person, representing the best qualities of Cuth’s as a hugely distinctive and high achieving club renowned for the many charismatic qualities that separated it from its arch rivals. ‘Bernard’s devotion, dedication and
sheer hard work as oarsman, coach and Society Principal shone through to students to inspire and develop character. He never lost perspective or his wonderful sense of balance and humour, leading by example and loyalty. ‘The results spoke for themselves. Cuth’s Boat Club has a fine record of success with plenty of trophies as a result of his endeavours. ‘Bernard considered that the lifelong qualities that have taken Cuth’s oarspersons to a wide range of career successes were directly attributable to the qualities engendered in the Boat Club. We all owe Bernard huge thanks for his decades of devotion. He would want the fine traditions to endure. These would be his legacy.’ Here we will share some memories and photos from alumni of Bernard’s time with St. Cuthbert’s Society Boat Club.
Bernard was a long time supporter of Middlesbrough FC and a keen gardener, providing vegetables for the family table and ensuring that the garden was a riot of seasonal colour, with bushes and shrubs pruned to perfection. Bernard read avidly about the local history and archeology of the Durham area and was editing a history of St. Cuthbert’s Society in the 1988-2003 period at the end of his life. Over the last few months, he showed great courage, fortitude and strength of character as he fought his final battle with cancer, never complaining of pain. To all who knew him, Bernard was a true gentleman, and his warmth, generosity and laughter will be sorely missed by all. Mark Rowland is a former JCR President and former Chair of St Cuthbert’s Alumni Association. He is currently editing Bernard’s update of Henry Tudor’s history of St. Cuthbert’s Society, which will cover the period from 1988-2003.
Above: Bernard Robertson, Albert Hodgson, Rex Rowbottom, Keith Lightfoot and Gerry Denning.
Blackshaw, Daniel Thomlinson, Tim Pitt, John Norton.
(Opposite) top right: Bernard Robertson
Middle right: Syd Leuillette, Keith Jones, Mel Shiels, Tom Bishop, Bernard Robertson, Phil Hardcastle
Middle left: Durham Regatta Awards Ceremony, 1986: Chris Lawrence, Bernard Robertson, Patrick Hurley, Henry
Bottom: SCSBC 2017—Bernard’s legacy
Cuthbert’s Chronicle | Epiphany 2018 | Issue No. 7
Robin Thompson (Psychology, 1983): ‘I have fond memories of Bernard. Bernard coached the Novice IV+ and later Senior C IV+ crews I was in during my first year at Cuth’s in the late 1970's. He was a real enthusiast for Cuth’s rowing, and a good motivator of oarsmen. He generously gave up a huge amount of his time to coach crews. He also was a source of good advice to the elected officials of the boat club, who in those days had
usually only started rowing themselves at Cuth’s. His contacts with others on the rowing scene in Durham were also very useful at times. He helped a lot of people progress and enjoy their Cuth’s rowing’
Ruth Charles (Community & Youth Work, 2007): ‘I remember being so excited the first time I met him, when I was presented Rowing Colours by him, having denoviced in a boat named after him. A true Cuth’s legend’
Stig Eide Sivertsen (Economics, 1984): ‘I had the pleasure of being at Cuth’s in the years 1981 to 1985, serving on the Exec and being active in SCSBC. Bernard was always helpful and positive. He coached us, helped with practicalities, encouraged us and always met us with a smile and a positive remark. I once brought a crew of Norwegian rowers to Durham, and Bernard helped me out in his capacity at
Daniel Thomlinson (Physics, 1986): ‘Bernard was of invaluable help to me and the crew I rowed with at Cuth’s. I was at Cuth’s ‘83 to ‘86 and was captain of the boat club in my final year. Bernard kindly invited us to tag along with the City crews to attend regattas and more importantly he invited us to form an eight with one of
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their first men’s crew. We trained with the City crew...and we progressed to the final in our category to face Durham University 2nd Eight, and they were rather surprised to be beaten by a scratch Eight with only a couple of weeks rowing together compared to their full season together!’
Durham ARC. The oarsmen of Ormsund Roklub still talk about that trip. I have very fond memories of him’
Dave Bowman (Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, 1997): ‘Bernard was a true gent and genuinely cared for Cuth’s, its students, alumni and staff. RIP Bernard and thank you for all the wise words you shared with me’
COLLEGE NEWS 8
Cuthbert’s Chronicle | Epiphany 2018 | Issue No. 7
Understanding the Anthropocene: new approaches to environmental change Each Michaelmas term, Cuth’s hosts a visiting scholar from the Institute of Advanced Study. This term we were joined by Dr Kathryn Yusoff from Queen Mary, University of London. Dr Yusoff is a Reader in Human Geography in the School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London. She received her PhD in Geography from Royal Holloway University of London, and has worked in the fields of polar geographies, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Her research approaches include critical theory, feminist philosophy, and political aesthetics. She is committed to interdisciplinary research and particularly, conversations across the arts and sciences. She has served on the European Science Foundation and various polar indicatives during the International Polar Year and her book Bipolar examines the visual, scientific and popular archives of the Polar Regions. Her current research focuses on the new
and controversial concept that we live in an Anthropocene era, defined by human rather than geologic activity and is completing a monograph on ‘Geologic Life’. At the IAS, Kathryn developed her work on the role of the Anthropocene and race, writing a short book, A Billion Black Anthropocenes. Kathryn delivered her IAS Fellows’ Lecture in November—entitled ‘Geosocial Strata’ - in Cuth’s to an engaged and inquisitive audience. Her lecture examined the relationship between geological forces, social practices and questions of power over the longue historical duree. During her time at Cuth’s, Kathryn has become involved in the academic life of the Society, leading a ‘Difficult Dialogue’ on the legacy of the British slave trade, presented on environmental ethics, and took part in a meeting with Cuth’s FemSoc. She said that, ‘meeting the Cuth’s students and discussing questions of racial inequality and living a feminist life was a real highlight of the term for me. Along with Elizabeth’s fantastically curated social gatherings!”
End of an era at Cuth’s This term, we said goodbye to three long-serving members of staff: Ann Peart, Joyce Elliott, and Sharon Richardson. Ann and Joyce worked for eight Principals, and dozens of JCR Presidents. They made enormous contributions and provided immeasurable support to generations of Cuth’s students. Ann arrived on the Bailey, fresh from secretarial college, in 1969, and spent her entire career here. Her husband Bill also worked for the Society as maintenance supervisor for many years. Joyce joined Cuth’s over thirty years ago and worked tirelessly as the principal’s secretary and in student support. Sharon Richardson left at the end of August after eleven years at Cuth’s as Vice-Principal/Senior Tutor, Acting Principal for a year, and then Deputy Principal. During her time here, Sharon promoted the artistic and cultural life of Cuth’s, and commissioned the vellum by local artist and SCR member Judy Hurst, which now illuminates the staircase of 12 South Bailey. Cuth’s is indebted to Ann, Joyce and Sharon for their years of dedicated service and we wish them all well in the future.
Light and Colour in Life and Art This year’s Annual Fellows’ Lecture was given by Professor Anya Hurlbert from the Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University.
In her fascinating lecture, Professor Hurlbert explored the cognitive science and psychology of colour perception drawing recent studies with her team at the Institute of Neuroscience at Newcastle University.
How do we respond to light and colour? Why do different people see colours differently? Was Monet unusually “colourinconstant”?
There is, according to Professor Hurlbert, a ‘deep duality’ in colour perception: “the way we see the colours of objects requires us to discard information about the colour of light in order to recover constant colours of objects” “This is something Monet did not do...He actually painted the colour of light, so in his series of paintings of Rouen Cathedral (right), we see the dramatic changes in the illumination spectrum, rather than the constant colour of the stone”.
Professor Hurlbert’s research took us through recent advances in the study of colour perception, how it is being transformed with the advance of technology and our modern lifestyles.
If you’d like to hear more, you can watch Professor Hurlbert’s lecture at www.dur.ac.uk/st-cuthberts.society/ eventspage/lectures/
JCR NEWS Cuthbert’s Chronicle | Epiphany 2018 | Issue No. 7
Update from the JCR President It’s been a whirlwind, but the JCR has had an eventful year so far. Here are a few of the highlights. Freshers Week was a huge success with an outstanding team of Freshers Week Reps helping to ensure the smooth arrival of the new students. This year, we improved on the non-alcoholic events, ensuring that there was always a variety of options, including an acoustic night, treasure hunt, ice breaker games and an art workshop! There was also the addition of more day activities such as walks around Durham and sport activities at Maiden Castle. With the number of Freshers creeping into the 400s, it was a tough week regarding capacity; however our team of Freshers Week Reps adjusted outstandingly! The Michaelmas Ball saw tickets selling out in under 30 seconds! The ball was held at Beamish Hall with an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme. With everything from the Mad Hatter’s tea party to the Queen of Hearts’ dining hall, it was a spectacular evening. The Summer Ball is already being planned, and will take place at a brand new venue never used by Cuth’s before! We have been working on streamlining our social media presence, reducing spam and improving engagement. Our Communications Officer, Alex LindqvistJones, has been working hard behind the scenes on updating the website, creating new Cuth’s email addresses and also producing a fantastic weekly newsletter to help advertise events to JCR members. Snapchat and Facebook have been revamped this year and we have just launched a JCR Instagram account. The Exec are also currently setting up a blog to help improve transparency. Our Sports & Societies Chair, Rishi Jindal, is also keeping everyone updated with the latest achievements of Cuth’s JCR on the Team Cuth’s Facebook page.
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Cuth’s JCR launch new outreach project This year, Cuth's JCR has launched our first volunteering project within the local community, bringing performing arts to schools in the North East. Cuth's Outreach runs various events throughout the year including but not limited to charity formals, pub quizzes, and silent discos. However, until this year, there were no volunteering schemes within college for students to get involved in. With other colleges such as Grey College, Van Mildert, Castle and Hatfield having a few volunteering projects each, we had a lot to aspire towards. Having debated a few ideas, Cat and I decided we wanted to run an education project with an emphasis on the arts – something we are both passionate about. Over the summer we contacted local schools to see where our students’ time and skills could be most useful. We soon heard back from Framwellgate School in Durham. Having phased Drama out of the academic curriculum and stopped the annual school production, they were very excited at the prospect of working with us. A few months later the ‘Framda’ project was born. It’s a weekly after school drama club open to all students in the school (ages ranging from 11-16). Each session has a theme picked by one of two Project Leaders, Fionna Monk and Kishore Thiagarajan-Walker, such as ‘communication’, ‘improvisation’, ‘devising’, ‘physical theatre’ and ‘musical theatre’, and a series of games and activities that relate to these themes. Particular favourites include the
‘Dragon’s Den’ game in which the kids had to use their imagination and improvisation skills to pitch our volunteers a brand new product while using completely unrelated props, and the ‘Park Bench’ game, where the kids took it in turns to adopt a character of their choice and interact with each other while sitting on an a ‘park bench’- quite a hard task, it seemed, when half the students opted to be some sort of zoo animal! More recently, Aimee Willems and Ell Page have run two sessions focused on musical theatre. As Ell is a second year music student with a grade 7 in piano, the volunteers were able to help the kids work on songs of their choice from a handful of musicals ready to perform to each other the following week – a unique activity the kids loved. We hope that all of these sessions will help us build towards some sort of showcase during Easter term so that the children's’ peers, families, members of the JCR and SCR, and the whole community can come and see what they have learnt, and how Cuth’s student’s have facilitated that. Our hopes are that this partnership with Framwellgate School will be a sustainable project that may even grown beyond a weekly drama club in the future.
Elena Martin Outreach Chair
Cuth’s JCR has been a joy to work with for the past few months. I am excited for what is to come, and massive congratulations to everything the Executive Committee has achieved already. Cat May
Above: (L-R) Emma Stephens, Aimee Willems, Elena Martin, Ell Page, Charlie Pipe
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Cuthbert’s Chronicle | Epiphany 2018 | Issue No. 7
THE RIGHT TO PLAY: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN JORDAN Matthew Asquith (Finalist, Modern Languages) spent six months living and working in Amman, Jordan for an NGO supporting refugee children in the Middle East. Here, he discusses his experience and the important role of international development.
As I was startled into wakefulness at half past four on the morning of 27th August last year by the dawn call to prayer, my first thought was that this was not an experience that I could readily share with friends back at home. While being startled out of one’s sleep is by no means a subject to which others cannot relate – far from it – the mundane quality of the occurrence would have meant that anyone to whom I told the story would surely think I was only telling them to prove I was on a year abroad, in the Middle East – didn’t you know? I was conscious that an open and accepting mind was going to be a key factor particularly at the start of my six
month stay in Jordan. There is a long and established history of travel literature written (largely) by Europeans who travelled to the ‘exotic, mystical & camelfilled’ Middle East during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Indeed, the role of ‘the Arab’ on Hollywood’s silver screens has historically been that of the swarthy, damsel-distressing villain who seeks to sow the seeds of chaos amongst the unsuspecting– think Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade or even Disney’s Aladdin. Such examples and many others besides have contributed to a very skewed view of the region from its European and American counterparts. Determined to ignore all such preconceptions, I found a Syrian flatmate and started volunteering
for an NGO specialising in community cohesion and societal values. In many ways, I was hugely lucky during my time living in Amman. I was able to sing with a choir that has recently received an award of national excellence from the King of Jordan, work for an international NGO, and to enjoy the friendships that arose as a result. At the same time, my two Durham classmates and I made many friends within and without the expat community and found the whole experience very welcoming.
“...international development is a tool for helping people to survive and flourish in their own way” I became involved in Right To Play’s Jordan office first through volunteering and later as a Communications Consultant/ glorified social media being. I began working with a Danish journalist who was on a research break in his Master’s degree from Copenhagen. Niels’ research focussed on ISIS which had led him to the conclusion that it would be impossible to continue his work without some time in the region. He and I worked to improve the overall presence of the organisation in Jordan – especially online through social media which is equally as popular in the Middle East as in Europe thanks to the introduction of Arabic language Facebook in 2009. Jordan hosts the second-highest number of refugees per capita for any country in
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the world (89 out of every 1000 people). Although the country has historically received refugees from conflicts in Palestine (as early as the nakba in 1948 when 700,000 Palestinians fled their homes), Lebanon and Iraq, the focus is naturally upon the most recent humanitarian crisis in Syria.* Amman is a stable base from which a number of iNGOs run their Middle East regional operations as a large proportion of their work takes place in Jordan itself, which was how I came to work with Right To Play – a Canadian organisation founded by former Olympic speed-skater Johann Koss. Its principal aims are to promote its primary values (Gender Equality, Inclusion, Child Protection & Life Skills) within communities, though specific project aims vary somewhat. The most challenging part of working with an organisation that has international scope is that the company rhetoric across the regions must become broader and less specific to all parts of the world. Naturally, the very same rhetoric would be decided upon by the Head Office and then disseminated to the various country offices afterwards. Such societal values/goals as Inclusion or Life Skills are reasonably transferable across many different cultures, but when you find yourself trying to word a Facebook post about how not only girls and boys but all genders should be equal in a country where, in some areas, the concept of anything outside the binary definition of gender is completely foreign – the whole process takes on a
different character. In many ways, it was obvious why the focus for the more sensitive parts of Right To Play’s work in Jordan was focused upon children, and the community side (which was very large as well) was a more restrained and less radical approach. There were still schools from the more conservative governorates that would only participate in single sex activities (a very memorable girls’ football tournament where each child would go through at least 2 litres of water in 4 hours of playing in 40degree heat springs to mind), and we would regularly pass the Official Facebook Page’s irate messages to a native Arabic speaker to deal with accordingly. All of this, however, made the whole experience much more real and concrete than if we were the ones sitting in Toronto writing the
original company spiel. If you had someone complaining about how progressive and radical you were being as an organisation then it was clear than an impression was being made – though you might want to ask someone nicely to do some damage control for you. It seems futile to say that this experience made a difference in how I view international development and its challenges since I know that I have barely scratched the surface. What it is easy to forget when we sit in front of our screens in Europe, America or even Canada is that while we might see the daily news updates from the Battle of Mosul or the violence erupting in Jerusalem, somewhere closeby there are millions of other people without a spotlight on them to whom conflict is much more real. In no way do I extol any practices that cause harm to others due to a lack of ‘Inclusion, Child Protection…’ (I’ll have jargon on the mind for a while yet), but I believe that international development is a tool for helping people to survive and to flourish in their own way, perhaps not as a means by which to tell them how they should do it. Top: Matt (second from left, middle row) with the Dozan small group choir. Left: Citadel Hell, Amman Opposite: The distinctive street graffiti of Amman *Many will correctly point out that Yemen is considered the most recent humanitarian crisis of the Levantine region. However, in order for refugees to reach Jordan from Yemen the route would take them through the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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Cuthbert’s Chronicle | Epiphany 2018 | Issue No. 7
GETTING TO THE ROOT OF IT: PLANT SCIENCE RESEARCH AND THE GROWING HUMAN POPULATION The World Health Organization places plant science research at the forefront of work aimed at improving global health, protecting biodiversity, mitigating the effects of climate change, and maintaining food security. Recently finished PhD student Flora Hetherington takes us through her research in this vital area.
At the end of September I handed in my PhD thesis, the culmination of three years of lab work in the Department of Biosciences at Durham University. My PhD project focussed on understanding how plants sense and adapt to adverse conditions, specifically looking at the way in which they respond to potassium starvation in the soil. I have always been fascinated by plant science, completing an undergraduate degree in Botany at Bristol University before coming to Durham for my PhD, and it is a very exciting time to be working in this area of research. Recent reports by the World Health
Organization have identified plant science research as being at the forefront of work aimed at improving global health, protecting biodiversity, adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change, and maintaining food security. Of these areas, my personal interest lies in the issue of food security. The human population is expected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050 and, in order to feed this growing number of people, it has been proposed that global food production must increase by between 60 and 110%. However, we need to increase food production using less energy, less water and less land than ever before. It is not possible to meet these food targets on the trajectory that we are currently on, and this is where the importance of plant science research comes in.
how plants grow and survive must first be understood, and there is much that is not yet known.
There are research groups all over the world working on ways to improve the yield of crops. Lines of investigation are incredibly varied, stretching from increasing the nutrient content of grain and improving disease resistance, all the way to changing the photosynthetic pathway in rice. However, in order to make improvements in these areas, the basic processes and mechanisms that govern
The work I completed for my PhD focussed on increasing the basic understanding of how the roots sense and respond to potassium starvation. Potassium is one of the most important nutrients that plants need to survive, essential for processes such as photosynthesis, protein synthesis, enzyme activation, stomatal activity and growth. Potassium starvation not only leads to
RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT
One of the areas least well studied in plant biology is the root system, and this is where my project was focussed. Despite being essential for the growth and survival of plants, the underground nature of roots creates technical difficulties, constraining research. However, current technology has overcome many of these difficulties and it has been suggested that root research will be one of the main driving factors to increase crop production of the future.
Cuthbert’s Chronicle | Epiphany 2018 | Issue No. 7
Top left: World population increase and predicted increase between 1950 and 2050. Graph from the U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base, August 2017.
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Top right: Arabidopsis thaliana growing vertically on agar plates, allowing visualisation of the root system. Right: Different stages of lateral root development in Arabidopsis, stages I—VII and e (emergence from the primary root). Visualised using confocal scanning laser microscopy. Cells visualised using fluorescent reporter (proPIN1::PIN1:GFP) (green) and propidium iodide cell stain (white). Scale bars = 50 µm.
reduced crop yields, but also impacts on the nutritional content of crops and animal fodder. Potassium is an essential nutrient in the human body, and recent reports have linked reduced potassium in the diet to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and coronary heart diseases. It is therefore essential to understand how plants sense and respond to this vital nutrient in order to increase crop yields and to maintain the nutritional content of the crops we eat.
‘The human population is expected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050 and, in order to feed this growing number of people, it has been proposed that global food production must increase by between 60 and 110%’ The initial part of my project focussed on characterizing the changes in root growth in response to potassium starvation, then the subsequent work looked at investigating how a perception event is able to lead to a change in growth. Utilising the techniques of molecular and developmental biology, I was able to visualise the changes that occur within plant cells in response to potassium
starvation, and I was able to identify specific proteins and hormones that are involved in changing the growth of the plant root. To overcome the challenges posed by investigating roots I conducted all of my experiments on a small, fast growing plant called Arabidopsis thaliana. This species is widely used across the plant science community, and decades of research have made it the most well characterized plant. By growing my plants on vertical plates I was able to observe how the Arabidopsis roots were changing when I added or removed potassium from the transparent agar that provided them with nutrients. This created a tightly controlled and repeatable environment in order to conduct experiments. Working with a model species such as Arabidopsis allows technical difficulties such as visualising root systems to be overcome in the lab. Focussing research on a single system also allows quick progress and intense competition between research groups, leading to
important findings. These findings can then be applied to more agriculturally important crop species, such as wheat and rice. In the soil, plants face a constantly changing environment, having to perceive and respond to a multitude of different stresses simultaneously. Therefore, in the future, combining information about how plants respond to individual stresses could reveal a clearer picture about what is happening in the root systems of crop plants all over the world. In January I will be starting a new post in the Department of Biosciences, acting as a Knowledge Exchange Fellow in Crop Sciences. In this role I will be working at the interface between academics and partner organisations such as industry, farmers, NGOs and the government. I am really looking forward to embarking on the new challenge and continuing to work in such an exciting research environment.
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Cuthbert’s Chronicle | Epiphany 2018 | Issue No. 7
ST CUTHBERT’S
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION All Association activities and events are organised by alumni, for alumni. So if you’d like an event near you, please let us know – we’d really love to organise something in Australia, Africa and South America! There are plans afoot in 2018 for a pub quiz (to support Cuth’s sports and societies) and more sporting and artistic events, in addition to our traditional annual events. Our calendar is always available on www.cuths.org.
Your Alumni Association offers the opportunity for you to keep in touch with other alumni and with Cuth’s, and to support the activities and development of current students. As Cuth’s alumni, every one of us are automatically members of the Association, so may I offer a huge welcome to our new members congregating in January 2018! There was a packed social calendar in 2017 (see pages 16-17 for a review, as well as a 2018 preview). Highlights included the Alumni Reunion Weekend in Durham, and the Founders’ Dinner in London. Excitingly, we also held lunches to celebrate St. Cuthbert’s Day in London and Hong Kong, bringing a whole new continent into the mix!
Queen’s Birthday Honours Asif Ahmad (Economics, 1977), HM Ambassador to the Philippines: CMG for services to British interests in South East Asia. Professor Erica Haimes (Sociology, 1978). Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Founding Executive Director of Policy, Ethics and Life Sciences Research Centre, Newcastle University: OBE for services to Social Science
Class Notes 2017 Dr Dick Potts (Zoology, 1966) was awarded the most prestigious medal
This year we have created even more opportunities for you to get involved by creating new positions on the committee. A brand new Events Committee was formed to work with our Events Manager Matt Glover (Economics, 2008), with Theo Harrison (Politics, 2016) and Digby Walker (Environmental Geoscience, 2016) being appointed to the committee. Rebecca Turner (English Lit. & Philosophy, 2009) joins as our first ever Social Media and Communications Manager. These new roles, along with the rest of the committee, will help to ensure we connect with each of you in the best possible way. If you would like to volunteer or to run for election, we are currently on the lookout for a Website Manager and a Secretary. Our contact details are on the back cover if you’d like to find out more.
which we can support to help current and future students. There is a modest budget of c. £10,000 of existing funds, and we would love to hear your ideas on how we could best spend this money. A group as passionate and skilled as Cuth’s alumni can offer so much more than just a chequebook, and we fully value and encourage the insight, time, energy and support of our fellow alumni. We also want to hear your ideas for non-financial initiatives; no idea is too big or too small. Take a look at the next page for some starter ideas on how we can support current students. Finally, we were incredibly sad to hear the news of Bernard Robertson’s death. Bernard was a Cuth’s alumnus, SCR member, past Principal, supporter of the Association, and almost life-long advocate of the Cuth’s Boat Club. He was much loved by those that knew him, who remember his humour, kindness, patience, understanding, and his love of Cuth’s. We are grateful for Mark Rowland’s tribute to Bernard, which can be read on page 4. Bernard, you are missed and hugely appreciated. Richard Peralta (English Lit. 2005) Alumni Association Chair
The Association agreed at the AGM in October to draw up a list of initiatives
CELEBRATING ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds this year. Cressida Peever (English Literature, 2014) made her playwriting debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August Congratulations to William Oldroyd (Theology, 2002) whose film Lady Macbeth won five British Independent Film Awards. Andrew Ilott (Natural Sciences, 2007) recently won the Chemistry Award in
the Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists! Professor Tariq Modood, (Philosophy and Politics, 1974), currently Professor of Sociology, Politics and Public Policy at the University of Bristol, has been elected a Fellow of the British Academy, the national academy for the humanities and social sciences. Tom Barfield (English, 2004), Rachel Quayle, née Anderson (Anthropology, Castle, 2004) and Elliot Grainger (Politics, Ustinov, 2006) have launched a charity that works with Iraqi refugees near Erbill, Iraqi Kuridstan: the Ankawa Foundation.
Cuthbert’s Chronicle | Epiphany 2018 | Issue No. 7
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SUPPORTING CUTH’S STUDENTS We would love to hear how you think we can improve the student and alumni experience. A challenge...
How you can help: a call to action
During a trip to Cuth’s Bar in November, and during the Founders’ Dinner in October, I asked current students and alumni “What would you improve in Cuth’s if you had unlimited money and/or resources?”
Please send in your ideas and your reflections on the above question! You can get in touch with us at www.cuths.org and contact@cuths.org, or below.
I chose to phrase the question in this way so that people didn’t limit their answers to what they thought could be delivered right now. I wanted it to be aspirational – what are those things you really think we could do better in St. Cuthbert’s Society, but have not yet shared or have been told isn’t realistic. I also tried to make it not purely about financial constraints. My theory was that there are plenty of improvements which require people power far more than a chequebook. For example, JCR President Cat May gave a dinner speech at the Founders’ Dinner in October about how alumni could support the JCR’s outreach programme. This work with the local community needs a lot of enthusiastic and driven students and alumni to deliver it, alongside only a modest budget. Another low cost/high impact initiative would be expanding the Careers Angels scheme, with even more enthusiastic alumni helping to support current and recently graduated students in their careers. Of course, there are plenty of potential initiatives which could need significant financial backing. The flagship initiative of recent years – the planned JCR building in the courtyard of Brooks House – has unfortunately been overtaken in the priority list for University funding by urgent improvements to student accommodation. The recent College Council suggested that bursaries would be the next biggest priority for a large financial project.
The committee will collate your suggestions with a social media campaign
We have received some fascinating answers so far. Here are the top three themes received, covering both financial and nonfinancial support:
Student debt
Helping the campaign against above-inflation accommodation fee rises and the reduction of the Durham Grant (www.durhamsu.com/ripped-off)
Funding bursaries for those Cuth’s students who most need them
Improved facilities
Helping to provide more study space. Fewer students arrive at university without a laptop, so the computer room could potentially have fewer, higher-specification machines
Providing lobbying support for the new building in Brooks courtyard as the next University priority for Cuth’s
Funding a more effectively sound-proofed music room and rehearsal space
Funding video recording and editing capability for students
Planning and funding major works to change the layout of the Brooks House bar and JCR space
Funding much-needed structural and decoration improvements to the boat house
Student opportunities
Supporting the outreach programme to the local community
Volunteering as a Cuth’s Careers Angel
www.cuths.org contact@cuths.org
So, “what would you improve?”
YOUR ANSWERS SO FAR...
www.facebook/st.cuthberts.association @Cuths
to generate and prioritise the ideas. We will publish a full list of suggestions and priorities on cuths.org and in the next edition of the Chronicle, and come up with a priority list for discussion with the JCR. Watch this space – exciting times ahead!
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Cuthbert’s Chronicle | Epiphany 2018 | Issue No. 7
Cuth’s in London: Grads of the Last Five Years This September, Cuth’s hosted an exclusive party for all alumni who had graduated since 2012 to welcome new 2017 graduates into the alumni community. Held at the Blues Kitchen, Shoreditch and with over 80 recent alumni in attendance, it was a great opportunity for recent grads to catch up and celebrate in true Cuth’s
Clockwise from top: (1) Ffion Roberts and Anna Green; (2) Sofia Hurst, Zenia Selby, Digby Walker and Antonia Goddard; (3) Charlie Hudson and Tom Bergquist; (4) David Jones, Thea Gordan-Rawlings, and Alex Leighton; (5) Kiera McEvoy, Lydia Morrell, Harry Rice, Stuart Edmonds, Laura Moody and Adam Lyttle.
Cuthbert’s Chronicle | Epiphany 2018 | Issue No. 7
Alumni Events Being part of Cuth’s isn’t over once you leave Durham and events are a great way to meet old friends, make some new ones and extend networks. It was brilliant to see many familiar faces and plenty of new ones at Alumni events throughout 2017. Of particular note, we held the third edition of the annual Founders’ Dinner in London on 28th October, with around 30 alumni from the 1950s to 2010s, and the Principal and JCR President in attendance. Food and Cuthbert’s cheer were shared in abundance. We’re hoping to make the event next year, on the 130th anniversary of the founding of the Society, a particularly special one. It was also great to see around 80 recent graduates in September at a special drinks events organised by Harry, the Alumni Development Officer. The Cuth’s Christmas evening drinks capped off a fantastic 2017 for Alumni events. The formation of our new events committee and the help of Harry and the Society mean the 2018 calendar looks very exciting. Big landmarks in the immediate future include the St Cuthbert’s Day Lunch in March, which will be held London. We’ll also be extending this to include a northern Right: Founders’ Dinner 2017 (LR) Tim Handley, Maria GraceSmith, Rob Sykes, Eddie Latham, , Morgan Kainth, and James Smith Below right: (LR) Cat May, Nick Wright, Sheila Phillips, Derrick Phillips, Wyn Hamilton, and John Hamilton Below left: (LR) Emma Nicol, Adam Muckle, Chris Carlisle, Harry LewendonEvans, Matthew Partridge, Elizabeth Archibald
edition (we’ve earmarked Leeds) around the same time and hopefully another Hong Kong equivalent (as in 2017). We’re hoping to get some other initiatives off the ground this year too, including a pub quiz to raise money for sports and societies and an academic lecture. On a personal note, it’s 10 years since I graduated next year and I’m hoping that a large contingent of my contemporaries will put the Alumni Weekend in Durham in their diaries.
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Upcoming
Events March 2018 St Cuthbert’s Day Lunch Venue and time to be confirmed. This is the third year we will be running the lunch to celebrate our saint’s day.
June 2018 Cuth’s Day 12 South Bailey, Durham
As ever, if anybody would like to assist in any events or would like to see something in their part of the world, please do get in touch events@cuths.org. I hope to see many of you at an Association event in 2018. Matt Glover (Economics, 2008) Alumni Association Events Manager
The one and only party hosted by Cuth’s JCR
September 2018 Alumni Reunion Weekend To be confirmed The flagship event of the year!
If you would like to help organise an event, especially in new locations or as year group reunions, we would be happy to facilitate and publicise as you require. Please get in touch with events@cuths.org
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Cuthbert’s Chronicle | Epiphany 2018 | Issue No. 7
SENIOR COMMON ROOM Cuth’s Senior Common Room is made up of academic and professional staff, members of the local community, and alumni. SCR President Dr Mark Miller takes us through an eventful term.
In the last edition of Cuthbert's Chronicle, I announced the launch of a new scheme of Performing Arts Grants by the SCR to help Cuth's students take up opportunities on the stage or musical platform. On these pages you will find reports by the first two recipients of the Grants, Kishore Thiagarajan (Second Year) and Aisha Bennett (Recent Graduate) who both headed to the Edinburgh Fringe over summer, but for rather different sorts of performance. The SCR was very pleased to support these excellent extracurricular achievements and I hope you enjoy This summer I had the privilege of gracing one of the hundreds of stages at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as part of the Northern Lights, Durham’s first A Cappella group. We performed a weeklong run to sold out audiences and
Kishore Thiagarajan: Young Pleasance In August this year I was very fortunate to attend and perform with my youth theatre, Young Pleasance, at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival with the support and funding from the newly created Performing Arts Grant. Founded in 1994 it serves as the youth company of the Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, one of the biggest venues at the Fringe with an incredible history of showcasing some of the best talent starting out in their careers.
reading about them as much as we did. Applications for Grants in 2017-18 are now open and we have already pledged funds to three worthy recipients. On a more traditionally academic front, Durham University is always keen to promote research-led teaching. The colleges play an important role in introducing research to undergraduate students, and the start of the academic year at Cuth's saw two vibrant researchfocussed evenings aimed at new students. The first of these was held in a packed SCR primarily for new graduate students, and involved ten very brief introductions by SCR members on the general area of their own research, ranging from Milton to nuclear magnetic standing ovations – it was the perfect culmination to a thrilling year of performances at competitions, college balls, and even a wedding. Our 45-minute set – ‘Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them’ – showcased arrangements of all genres, from Keane and Marvin Gaye, to Frozen and even a bit of Enrique Iglesias. Of course, a trip to the Fringe is never cheap; travel and accommodation prices in Edinburgh are always hiked up for the month of August, so the SCR Performing Arts grant With only 10 days to rehearse before going up to Edinburgh on the 2nd of August, this was the most intense but rewarding rehearsal period I have experienced. We then embarked on a 3 week run, selling out our venue of 380 seats almost daily and thus ending up on the coveted ‘Sold Out’ board at the front of the Courtyard, which was a particular highlight. This experience has not only benefited my performance skills and given me an idea of what to expect as part of a professional theatre company, but it has also taught me how to promote a show
resonance. This highly varied taster session was dubbed ‘research tapas’ before the evening was out and was so well received that we are certain to repeat the format. The second research evening was held on the final Sunday of induction week—perhaps an unlikely moment to catch Freshers! On the contrary, an inquisitive audience of fifty undergraduates came to hear about The environment as a human right (Kathryn Yusoff, IAS Fellow), Designer atoms (Mark Miller, SCR President) and Did medieval people have baths? (Elizabeth Archibald, Principal). In characteristic Cuth's fashion, rigorous discussion continued late into the evening—in the college bar.
Aisha Bennett: Northern Lights helped me enormously. What’s more, I was able to contribute to the group’s wider costs of hiring a venue and printing thousands of flyers (that we spent each morning distributing on the Royal Mile while busking to the crowds of passersby's). 2017 was undoubtedly the Northern Lights’ most successful run at the festival to date, which I was proud to be a part of!
and interact with the public and national press, as well as working professionally in a venue that is also shared by famous comedians.
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SUPPORTING ST CUTHBERT’S SOCIETY The generosity of our donors allows St Cuthbert’s Society to thrive and flourish. Your support enables us to continue to improve and develop the student experience here at 12 South Bailey. We welcome donations of any size and for any purpose. You can choose whether to donate to one of our campaigns listed below, or if you choose the Annual Fund, to a specific cause or to the Society in general. Should you wish to discuss how you can help, please contact our Alumni Development Officer on cuthberts.alumnirelations@durham.ac.uk
St Cuthbert’s Society Annual Fund St Cuthbert's Society Annual Fund is the account for general donations to St Cuthbert's Society. If you would like to donate then selecting the annual fund allows us to place your money where it will make the biggest impact. You can use this fund for specific purposes, such as supporting your old team, club, or society.
Student Opportunities Fund The Student Opportunities Fund exists to provide support to postgraduate students in their academic pursuits, such as helping them to fund attendance at conferences, research trips, or fieldwork. We would now like to extend it to final year undergraduates working on dissertations. Such awards enable Cuth’s students to get more from their degrees and maintain our commitment to contributing to the University’s scholarly community.
Legacy Gifts Making a will is a time for reflection about your personal legacy. Including a legacy gift to St Cuthbert’s Society is a celebration of the Society you treasure and the people you have encountered here. Legacy gifts help us to provide a stimulating environment for future generations of Cuth’s students and encourage them to discover, innovate, and influence. There are many ways to support the future of Cuth’s and we will be pleased to assist you in making your decisions about your wishes. If you would like to know more, please contact the Legacies Officer on 0191 3346313 or email louise.mclaren@durham.ac.uk
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STAY IN TOUCH www.facebook.com/CuthbertsAlumni @CuthsAlumni www.durham.ac.uk/st-cuthberts.society/alumni cuthberts.alumnirelations@durham.ac.uk
ST CUTHBERT’S ALUMNI ASSOCIATION www.facebook/st.cuthberts.association @Cuths www.cuths.org contact@cuths.org