We’ve got a wonderful weekend of celebrations ahead as Jesus College marks St David’s Day – a very important day in our events calendar.

St David is, of course, the patron saint of Wales and we are known as the ‘Welsh college’ thanks to our founding in 1571 by Queen Elizabeth I, at the request of a Welsh lawyer and clergyman, Hugh Price. We maintain strong links with Wales through our thriving welsh schools access programmes and are proud that around 15% of our current undergraduates are Welsh.

Today (Friday 28th February) members of College will gather for a series of celebratory activities that includes a coffee morning, an afternoon presentation on our Welsh schools access work by Dr Matt Williams (title), followed by Welsh-themed afternoon tea and rounded off with a special Welsh service in Chapel. Gez Porter, our gardener, has been preparing the grounds for the weekend; planting pots of bright yellow daffodils, giving the quad lawns a spring cut and ensuring the many flower beds look their best for visitors, guests and College members over the next few days.

On St David’s Day itself, we’ll be launching our 450th Anniversary Campaign. In 2021, we will open a landmark new building in the heart of Oxford. Our biggest physical transformation since the 17th century, the pioneering redevelopment of the Northgate site will incorporate a new College quad, city centre postgraduate accommodation, and inspiring multi-purpose teaching and learning spaces. This development will enable the College’s exceptional students and researchers to engage across disciplines, share their research, and explore the most pressing challenges of the 21st century.

The 450th Anniversary Campaign is not only about creating new spaces within a historic Oxford college. It is also about the people – the current and future generations of academics and students – who will fill these spaces with their intellect, energy and creativity. Thanks to the generosity of our alumni and friends, we have so far raised £38 million of a £45 million campaign target. The philanthropic support from our new campaign will be used to attract the talent to help harness the potential of the new building, and will secure Jesus College’s place as a world-leading institution for study and research.

In a fitting end to a busy week, College will be hosting a Welsh Champagne Tea on Thursday March 5th to celebrate the appointment of our new Jesus Chair of Celtic, which supports the scholarship and preservation of Celtic languages, literature and history at the University of Oxford. Dr David Willis is only the sixth Chair to have been appointed in this position’s distinguished history and we are looking forward to formally welcoming him to College. The Jesus Chair, established in 1877, is the only Professorship in Celtic at an English university.

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus to all our supporters, Fellows, colleagues, friends and students!