Thatu's Founders & Trustees
Thatu is a network of people inspired by the initiative and sheer hard work of many individuals and communities committed to developing a better future for themselves in their new South Africa.
"Our aim is to put our weight (and our money) behind self-help and home-grown projects amongst those who struggle to progress with few or no resources."
"Our aim is to put our weight (and our money) behind self-help and home-grown projects amongst those who struggle to progress with few or no resources."
Anne Watts, CBE
Patron Anne Watts CBE is a leading figure in diversity, recruitment and workplace development issues with a strong track record across the private, public and voluntary sectors, She has held executive roles relating to workforce and diversity in Business in the Community and HSBC and NatWest banks. She is Chair of the Appointments Commission and currently serves on the boards of Greater London Enterprise, Opportunity Now, Race for Opportunity and the Open University and was previously an Equal Opportunities Commissioner. She is a member of School Teachers’ Review Body and has recently started working with the Army on a review of equality and with London Councils on councillor expenses. Anne is a Trustee of the Eve Appeal for gynaecological cancer. Thatu is privileged to have a person of the calibre of Anne Watts as our Patron. |
Margery Povall
Founder, Trustee & Former Chair I was born and grew up in South Africa, but have been a long term London resident as an academic and consultant on equality issues in employment. This background and a continuing interest in Africa led me on retirement to complete an MSc in Development Studies to give me a more professional knowledge of economic development. On my husband’s death following many years of ill health, I had the chance to undertake voluntary work. I came back from visits to South Africa inspired by the self help initiatives disadvantaged communities were involved in. They had the ideas and the will but needed funds to pay for essential equipment and professional help if their efforts were to be sustainable. So I collected together a dedicated group of volunteers and started Thatu to help community development initiatives. |
Susan Law
Founder & Trustee Thirty years in banking may sound like a narrow career, but it provided me with an extraordinarily wide range of challenges. This included managing a region, developing change programmes, strategy and effective internal communications, as well as frontline operational experience. In 1980, along with Margery Povall I helped to found Women in Banking and Finance. All this whilst raising two daughters and managing a household developed my ability to juggle. After a key role as a change agent in the bank’s reorganisation, I took early retirement. This enabled me to undertake consultancy roles helping organisations deal positively with change, become involved in community and other voluntary organisations such as a local housing trust and a Young Offenders Institution. I enjoy using my managerial experience to help create and develop Thatu because helping disadvantaged communities develop is vital. |
Jackie Meldrum
Trustee Following 20 years in the IT industry in London I became involved in community activities and founded a local childcare organisation in the early 1990s. Elected as an inner city councillor in 1997 I have a keen interest in community leadership & development and community regeneration programmes. For my masters degree I specialised in the role of children and young people in regeneration. I have visited a wide range of local authorities across England as a peer or critical friend looking at how equality policies are implemented. I studied botany at university and have retained a life long interest in the wonderful world of plants and how to grow them. Uniquely I can combine my interest in gardens and experience of the voluntary sector & community development at Thatu. |
Val Johnson Bell
Trustee I first came across Thatu at a summer fete on Clapham Common when I bought a pack of greetings cards from their stall. My interest was aroused for two reasons – firstly I knew Margery through my work before I retired, and secondly my brother and his family live in South Africa. We have visited them a number of times and travelled around many different parts of the country with them. I have visited one of the projects that Thatu supports and seen at first hand the benefits that support brings. The last twenty years of my working life were in management in the voluntary sector and I am sure that the many skills I used there can be put to use to help Thatu. So, after supporting the activities of Thatu for many years, but at a distance, I am now very happy to be on board as a fully committed Trustee. |
Gloria Wyse
Trustee & Chair Gloria is an accomplished researcher and has compiled several publications on race equality issues over the last ten years for the race equality campaign at Business in the Community where she also manages their 15 strong youth advisory panel. Prior to this, Gloria amassed over 19 years management experience working for the multi-national Unilever, where her prime focus and areas of expertise were graduate recruitment, management development and training for the company's Africa and Middle East region. It is through this role that Gloria's love for South Africa and its people has grown. Regular travel to the country for both business and pleasure has allowed her to build and maintain strong contacts with colleagues and friends and she has a sister that lives in Johannesburg. Outside the workplace, Gloria has always been active in her community having held a secondary school governorship for 8 years and currently leads Lewisham Citizens, part of Citizens UK as Chair. Gloria also sits as a member on her Parish Pastoral Council. Gloria was delighted to be asked to join Thatu and hopes that her management and people skills will help to raise awareness and drive much needed funds to the Thatu cause. |
Rose Long
Trustee I was brought up in South Africa and moved to the UK in the mid 1980s. I work in the field of architecture and the arts. I had been looking to become involved with a charity concerned with community projects and self help schemes when Thatu’s patron Anne Watts introduced me to Thatu prior to a planned visit to South Africa in 2007. I visited some projects that Thatu was funding in Gauteng and the Western Cape and on my return to the UK became increasingly involved with the charity. I enjoy volunteering for Thatu and thoroughly believe in Thatu’s aims of helping to fund food projects to provides a means for people in South Africa to become self empowered and gain control of their lives. |
Margaret Hill
Founder & Former Trustee Born in South Africa where I trained to be a Primary School Teacher, in 1959 I came to England ‘to see the world’. This is where I married, had two daughters and taught for many years. Retiring from teaching early I embarked on a second career – that of an artist. This involved many years of study and practical work, culminating in a BA Fine Arts Degree, followed by a Post Graduate Diploma, specialising in printing. I had never lost my love of South Africa and was delighted when asked to become a Trustee of Thatu. ‘To be able to help children to continue schooling and achieve self-sufficiency in a very difficult time is both an exciting and rewarding challenge’. |
Shirley Kerr
Founder I moved to England in 2001 for family reasons after many years in a variety of roles in education in South Africa. These included being Head of Department at Johannesburg College of Education, and lecturing and examining at several universities. I continued research activities as a Research Associate, Welsh National Centre of Religious Education, University of Wales. Semi retirement is allowing me to develop my artistic and writing interests. I retain a long and deep commitment to South Africa expressed in ties with family, friends and professional colleagues. Each time I have revisited the country I have been inspired by the way it is rising to meet challenges. Thatu offers me a channel for continuing involvement in SA. |