Hatfield College ‘a special place’
23 August 2024
The following news release was issued by Durham University.
Hatfield College alumnus James Timpson with Hatfield College Master Professor Ann Maclarnon
Alumnus, Timpson Group CEO and newly appointed Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation, James Timpson OBE, visited Durham recently to be awarded an honorary Doctor of Science in our Summer Congregation ceremony.
James Timpson (Geography, Hatfield College, 1991-94)
James made the visit with his wife and alumna, Roisin (Anthropology, Trevelyan College, 1992-95). Whilst in Durham, they took the opportunity to reconnect with Hatfield and Trevelyan Colleges and their academic departments. They also enjoyed lunch with both College Principals and both Department Heads, as well as Nicole Westmarland, who was James’ orator in his honorary degree ceremony.
James visited Geography and met with Cheryl McEwan, the Head of Department and enjoyed a tour of Hatfield College with Principal Ann Maclarnon, where he visited the room in Gatehouse that he shared during his time in Durham. He also visited the Timpson Gym, which was named after his father, John, who was one of the founders of the Hatfield Trust.
Roisin Timpson (Anthropology, Trevelyan College, 1992-95)
For Roisin, the ceremony was an emotional one, as she missed her own graduation because of a family bereavement. She also met up with the Head of Anthropology, Jamie Tehrani, and Trevelyan College Principal, Kunle Adeyeye.
A special place for the Timpson family
The University is a special place for the Timpson family, because it is not only where James and Roisin first met, but their daughter, Niamh (Anthropology, Hatfield College, 2020-23) graduated from Durham last year, and James’ brother, former Member of Parliament Edward, is also an alumnus (Politics, Hatfield College, 1993-96).
Supporting prison reform
After University, James ran the family business, Timpson Group, a successful retail service operation, but also the largest employer of ex-offenders in the UK. Over the last 20 years, James has been an active supporter of positive prison reform – one in every nine Timpson employees is an ex-offender and there are Timpson Foundation Academies in prisons across the country. Of these employees, 75% remain within the Group, the others predominantly moving on to employment with different organisations. The vast majority do not reoffend.
James has been Chair of the Employers Forum for Reducing Re-offending, Chair of the Prison Reform Trust, and he founded the Employment Advisory Board linking prisons with employers. He has recently been appointed as Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending in Sir Keir Starmer’s government.
Read more:
- About our alumni in Parliament
- About Timpson Group and prison reform in our latest Dunelm magazine
- About our Honorary Graduates
- About our Summer Congregation ceremonies
About Hatfield College
Hatfield College is a vibrant and welcoming community to which each and every student, alongside other college members, belongs. Established in 1846, as the second college of Durham University, with the explicit purpose of being open to a wide range of students, we greatly value the rich diversity of our college members, who come from all sorts of backgrounds and places of origin, with all sorts of interests, experiences and views. We strive to ensure that all Hatfielders have the opportunities and encouragement to be the best they can be, reflecting the words of our motto, Vel Primus Vel Cum Primis.
About the Hatfield Association
The Hatfield Association was established in 1946, at a time when the future of Hatfield College, Durham University was uncertain – this was the first time that Hatfielders came together and probably the finest proof of the legendary Hatfield spirit.
Our aim is to ensure we have a strong, active and engaged network of Hatfield alumni (graduates), to facilitate and build strong relationships with the College and to support its educational and welfare needs.