This week Newnham said farewell to one of our longest serving members of staff, Richard Jackson, a much-valued member of the maintenance team for 40 years.
Richard knew Newnham’s buildings inside and out. When he joined the College as a young man, his first job was a constant round of emptying the network of buckets under the leaky Victorian roofs. Since then, he’s seen roofs mended, kitchens and bathrooms spruced up, and a near-constant round of painting and repairs. We’ve had floods, (small) fires, and windows blown off their hinges – Richard has dealt with it all, and many a student has been reassured by a Richard’s quiet appearance at the door, ready to fix a broken window or investigate a dripping tap. As the glamorous new Dorothy Garrod Building went up, Richard and his colleagues kept looking after the rest of our buildings, both in the main College and in the graduate houses. During the coronavirus pandemic, our maintenance team have taken it in turns to come in and keep our students and staff safe, and Richard has been a core part of this.
Andy Kite, Newnham’s Building Manager, said “Richard has been a pleasure to work with, and the whole team wishes him all the best in his retirement.”
Alison Rose, Principal, said “Richard’s work, like that of all our maintenance team, has kept members of Newnham safe, warm and in beautiful surroundings for 40 years. Thank you, Richard, and congratulations on your well-deserved retirement.”