Alumni News in Brief…
Alumni University Challenge
Following their 2017 win, a strong Keble Alumni team returned for the 2025 University Challenge Christmas Special, battling it out against Hull and UCL to reach the Final on 2 January, where they faced stiff competition from reigning champions, Durham.
Representing Keble were Paul Johnson (1985 PPE), Frank Cottrell-Boyce (1979 English), Anne-Marie Imafidon (2006 Mathematics and Computer Science) and Caroline Criado Perez (2009 English Language and Literature), with reserve Abi Stone (2000 BA, DPhil Geography). The team delivered a strong performance, ultimately finishing as runners-up.
Bishop of Durham Appointment
Our congratulations to Keble alumnus the Venerable Rick Simpson (1985 Theology), who has been appointed as the next Bishop of Durham. Currently Archdeacon of Auckland, he will succeed the Rt Revd Paul Butler, who retired in 2024, following Acting Bishop the Rt Revd Sarah Clark. Rick has served in the Diocese of Durham since 2006 in parish ministry, clergy development and diocesan leadership, and was appointed Archdeacon in 2018. His installation at Durham Cathedral will take place in the summer. You can read more on the Diocese website.
Image credit: Diocese of Durham
20 Years with the Rainbow Centre
Twenty years ago, having survived the tsunami, Alison Nadel (1983 History) started working with children begging on the street who were abused, abandoned and without hope. The children all said they wanted one thing: “To go to school and be like normal children.” So, Alison created The Rainbow Centre Sri Lanka. Alison facilitated the Centre’s growth into the thriving operation it is today, with 200 students aged two to 23. Intense welfare provision and excellent teaching are central to this success, alongside the generosity of donors. Her mission is to enable children suffering from extreme deprivation to acquire the skills to access secure employment.
Keble Love
Three Keble couples from the alumni community joined in on this year’s Valentine’s Day celebrations, as seen on our Instagram and Facebook. The posts featured some wonderful ‘then and now’ photos of Jo and Richard Badge (1989), Kannon and Vicki Shanmugam (1993), and Duncan (1984) and Jayne Lewis (1983), paired with a whistle-stop recap of their stories together.
PIF Stats
At the end of 2025, we sent a personal information update form to Keble alumni and received nearly 1600 responses! This astonishingly high response rate means the contact information we hold for our community is as accurate as possible, allowing us to keep you updated on College news, invite you to relevant events, and much more. It was great to hear about alumni’s latest career developments, and all sorts of other news and adventures in their lives (some of which feature in this newsletter). A massive thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out the form. If any of your details change or you’d like to share some news, don’t hesitate to get in touch at any time by emailing alumni@keble.ox.ac.uk
