One Penny – and £23,000 for student support

Alumnae from all over the world, and from across the generations, came together this week to celebrate Penny Hubbard, Newnham College’s Director of Development since 2007.

Penny leaves us, not for retirement – no-one who has experienced Penny’s energy and drive could think that – but for a new phase of her career, as a Business Coach, continuing her commitment to helping women.

In honour of all that Penny has done over her 11 years at Newnham, a new Student Support Fund has been established in her name to support undergraduates studying the Arts & Humanities. This will be a wonderful addition to the existing support that Newnham is able to offer to its students. It is becoming increasingly critical to our mission to ensure that talented young women can come to Newnham, no matter their background or financial circumstances, that we are able to provide bursaries to help them with their living costs, rent and fees. We can only do this with the help of our alumnae and are deeply grateful for all your support for future generations of Newnhamites.

It would be impossible to sum up all that Penny has done, not only in helping to raise £32m for the College over her time, but in bringing together alumnae from across the world, and re-framing the very special relationship between Newnham and its former students. Under Penny’s leadership, we hosted the Secret Gardens Ball for 1200 people, put on February’s TEDx Event, created the Family Forum and much more.

One alumna and donor commented “I’m delighted to be able to contribute something in appreciation of Penny’s work.  After feeling that the college doors had shut firmly behind me when I left Newnham, it was wonderful to feel that I still belonged and the doors had reopened.  This was very much thanks to all her work. Due to Penny’s influence, Newnham began to seem more welcoming to and interested in not just those who became the absolutely outstanding stars in their chosen careers, but also those of us whose more modest achievements were nevertheless grounded in what Newnham had given us.”

Newnham College Principal, Prof Dame Carol Black, said “The Student Support Fund now established in Penny’s name is such a fitting tribute to all the hard work and devotion Penny has shown to the College in the last 11 years. So many times I heard Penny say ‘Once a Newnhamite always a Newnhamite’ and Penny is that in spades!”