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 Thatu's Founders & Trustees
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"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." PATRON 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. Founder &
Chair of Trustees
Founder & Trustee
Founder & Trustee
Founder & Trustee I made an unplanned move after graduating with a degree in Anthropology and Geography into a career in commercial insurance, but I retain my interest in development and community work. I believe in Thatu’s approach and my ongoing involvement with the charity continues to expose me to new experiences and challenges. I relish being part of a charity that directs donations to projects that are truly inspired from the grassroots. Founder
Trustee
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UK Registered Charity No. 1108655 |
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.
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’. 
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. 
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. 
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.