Downing 2010 cover opt b_Layout 1 - Downing College - University ...

DOWNING COLLEGE ASSOCIATIONT HE D EVELOPMENT D IRECTOR’ S R EPORTThis last year our main focus has been on launching the Catalysis endowmentfundraising campaign which took place at the London alumni reception inNovember 2009. The aim is to raise £20m by 2015 and the need has becomeurgent because of the effect of the recession and stock market falls on the valueof our endowment and the College’s income and expenditure account. Tosurvive as we are we must focus more of our resources on fundraising.Alumni activities have continued and have been successful as always but theCollege deficit means that we have had to save money in all areas so we hopewe have been able to make economies without it becoming noticeable to you.One area which you will notice is Dow @ Cam which will now be issued onlyonce a year rather than twice. It will carry more material but Magenta Newswill henceforth appear in this publication rather than Dow @ Cam.After six years at Downing, this is my last Association report. From 1st July,I will give up my post as Director of Development and become a self-employeddevelopment consultant although I will continue working with the College overthe next year on a number of projects. Serita Rana will take over as ActingDevelopment Director. It’s been a great privilege to work at this College andwith its staff, Fellows and students and a great pleasure to have met so manydedicated and generous alumni, not least of whom are the members of theDowning Association and the Association Committee who give enormously oftheir time and energy for the good of the College. I also want to say thank youto the Master, the Senior Bursar, and the Junior Bursar all three of whomhave very difficult jobs but carry them out with skill and professionalism.Finally, my warmest thanks go to all the wonderful, hardworking Developmentstaff I have worked with over the years. My best wishes go to them all.Tariq SadiqT HE J UNIOR B URSAR’ S R EPORTThe major focus within the Maintenance and Building area over the past year hasbeen completing the Howard Theatre. This building, generously donated by theHoward Foundation, was officially opened by Sir Trevor Nunn in the presenceof Dr Alan Howard on 3 March 2010 at a ceremony which included a studentmulti-media extravaganza, entitled The Seven Ages of Man.In addition to the building – which delivers state-of-the-art conference andtheatre facilities within a Regency-style setting – the Foundation has alsosupported improvements to the external finishes to the garden which now tie thethree Howard buildings into a cohesive architectural group. This area – now19