Dear all,

I am cycling from Morecambe Bay, Lancashire to Robin Hood Bay, Yorkshire in 3 days. This cycling event is in memory of Neil Tanner, who acted as Tutor for Admissions at Hertford College, University of Oxford, in 1965. 

Neil Tanner was committed to widening access. In the 1960s he broke the mould by proactively engaging with grammar and comprehensive schools that had little or no previous Oxbridge contact, and encouraging their best students to apply to Hertford. His two E offer and interview in the fourth term created shockwaves amongst the University, and prompted other colleges to review and drastically improve their approach to outreach.

In 2015, it is the 50th anniversary of Neil becoming Tutor for Admissions and the full implementation of the Tanner scheme. The alumni who benefited from this initiative have expressed such warm feelings for Neil and gratitude for all that his scheme did for them, it was only fitting that we mark his memory with a fundraising bike ride in support of the future students at Hertford.