The Talbot Bursaries at the 1980s Reunion
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The 1980s Reunion Weekend, in September 2025, marked the launch of the Talbot Bursaries, a new, practical way of helping students who are under the greatest financial pressure.
These means-tested bursary packages are designed to tackle cost of living worries to make everyday life at Keble more affordable by combining an annual rent rebate with a meal subsidy. Day-to-day costs become more manageable and support is felt every day, to ensure that all students, regardless of background, can participate fully in College life and seize every opportunity to develop their academic and extra-curricular interests at Keble and Oxford.
Our goal is to provide £1,500 per year to circa 100 of the students who need it most. To reach this ambitious target, we’re aiming to roll-out the Talbot Bursary appeal to successive alumni groups in tandem with the Reunion schedule. The target for each Reunion cohort is £90,000 (over three years), which equates to just £10 per month (plus Gift Aid) for 200 alumni.
More than 300 Keble alumni from the 1980s came back to College for their Reunion Weekend in 2025. The event was jam-packed and the Gaudy dinner on Saturday was over-subscribed. Many arrived on Friday night, and had curry in Hall before visiting the Lamb & Flag (and other fine establishments). The programme for Saturday included academic talks featuring current Keble researchers (Prof Daniele De Martini, Engineering Science; DPhil candidate Amaury Genovese, Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics; and DPhil candidate Kelsey Doerksen, Autonomous Intelligent Machines and Systems). Alumni were also treated to an insightful re-enactment of a tutorial with Prof Tim Jenkinson and former tutee partners Ed Balls (1985) and Paul Johnson (1985), and a Q&A session with the Warden which focused on Keble’s Access and Outreach work. Some alumni took the opportunity to sing with the choir before the drinks reception and Gaudy dinner in Hall on Saturday night. We are grateful to Bill Blanchard (1985) who gave the toast to the College and spoke about his work as Director of Field Operations with the UN.
To date, the 1980s cohort have generously pledged over £75,000 to fund the first ever Talbot Bursaries and only need 32 more donors to reach their target!
In 2026, the Reunion schedule includes 1990-1994 on 4 July, 2015-2021 on 12 September and 1995-1999 on 18 September. We look forward to welcoming alumni from the 2000s in 2027, 2010s in 2028, 2020s in 2029, and pre-1970s in 2030.
Should you wish to donate ahead of schedule, please do! Your support for students in the greatest financial need would be hugely welcome.
To donate or find out more about the Talbot Bursaries, click here.
“The Bursary contributes to my meals in Hall, which means I can spend my money on books and study materials. It is donations like yours which allow people, who would not otherwise necessarily have the means, to live comfortably at Oxford.”
Emily Cunnington, 2024 Modern Languages
