Long Service Awards 2023: 325 Years of Staff Service Celebrated

Last month staff from across College gathered for our annual Long Service Awards, an opportunity to recognise the dedicated service of those that have been with us for over 10 years. This year, the College made the decision to increase the frequency of awards to recognise every five years of service over 10 years, and several ‘catch-up’ awards were given accordingly.

The event, held in Broadgates Hall, saw fifteen award winners thanked by the Master for their individual contributions to the College community.

The following members of staff received awards:

40 Years

Krishna Singh, Scout (41 years)

Krishna is described as “always willing to help wherever she is needed” and “looking after her students like a mother”. She has also been heavily involved with the Chapel over her time here and helped to make the cushions for the pews!

30 Years

Richard Markham, College Gardener (32 years)

Our second longest-serving member of staff and a team of one, Richard not only curates our beautiful lawns, flower beds and window boxes, but is heavily invested in the life of the College, and has even made it into our recently published College history book!

Joan Dolton, Accounts Officer (31 years)

Nicknamed “hawk-eye Joan”, she has always been the “go-to” across College, known for her amazing attention to detail, but also for her friendliness, her sense of fun and her excellent rapport with staff, students and alumni alike.

25 Years

Archana Amin, Hall Manager

Working her way from Catering Assistant to Hall Manager, Archana, known to most as “Mini”, is known for running a tight ship. She refers to Pembroke as her College family, and has made friends over the years with everyone from students to international event clients.

20 Years

Simon Thompson, Head of SOCIT (23 years)

Since Simon’s appointment 23 years ago, the IT department has grown under his leadership from a team of one to the largest College consortium in Oxford, providing IT support to a number of Colleges.

Kevin Dudley, Head of Catering & Executive Chef (22 years)

Kevin has always been the first to step up and take on additional roles and responsibilities when needs arise, turning his hand to everything from interim Head of Events to practical support in the kitchen, never shying from “getting his hands dirty”. He is respected by his team and colleagues across the College.

Chris Allnutt, Head Chef (22 years)

Chris joined Pembroke as 4th Chef, working in all areas of the kitchen. Over the years he has worked his way through the ranks, building himself and the College a huge reputation in Oxford. Along the way, the Pembroke Chapel has seen his marriage and the christening of his two children.

Gurbax Kajoo, Scout (22 years)

Gurbax always has a smile and is happy and willing to help all over the College, attentively looking after both her staircases and students and lending a hand wherever there is a need.

Parveen Hussein, Scout (21 years)

Parveen always looks after the students in her staircases, sharing a joke with them whenever she passes in the corridor. Many alumni comment that their year living in College in Parveen’s staircase was the best, and that they will never forget her care and friendship.

Jane Richmond, HR Officer (21 years)

Starting as a temp in 2002, Jane then provided support as Bursars’ Secretary for three bursars and handled HR in its simpler form. With the function and requirements of HR growing, last year she took on the HR Officer role. She is a pillar of the Pembroke staff community.

Wendy Rowland, GAB Head Scout

Wendy started as a scout on the main site, and has been Head Scout at the GAB for the past five years. She worked in challenging conditions during the construction of GAB2, and was very willingly the first scout to return to College during the lockdown to help look after students who couldn’t travel home.

15 years

Allison Phipps, Accounts Officer

Nothing is too much trouble for Allison, who bends over backwards to help everyone. She is diligent in ensuring payments and payroll are processed, never complains, and is hugely loyal to the College and to her team.

10 years

Malcolm Davis, Maintenance Officer

Malcom is hard-working, loyal and diligent, ready to give anything a go and always willing to learn more. Most importantly, he is loved by staff and students alike for the smile that he brings to everything he does.

Neal Marjoram, Maintenance Assistant

Joining us in 2013, Neal worked tirelessly to bring the GAB up to the standard we wanted. In 2016 student newspaper the Cherwell ran a story about Neal, what he does and his pride in looking after the GAB!

Laura Cracknell, Librarian

Since arriving at Pembroke, Laura has transformed the Pembroke Library from a book repository to a wide-ranging service, providing targeted support for students and for our academic community. She is approachable and friendly and has taken an active role in a wide range of projects and committees across College.