Anjool “Jools” Maldé is to be awarded a posthumous MA in Geography on 22 May from his former College at Oxford University, which will also host a memorial tea for him after the ceremony…
St Peter’s College, Oxford released the following statement: “Mr Maldé was an undergraduate of exceptional vitality and character, who made a great impression both on fellow students and on his tutors. Apart from his academic achievement, he made a tremendous all-round contribution to student life through his many activities. He was clearly destined to develop a distinguished career in whatever he turned his hand to and it is therefore particularly tragic that his life was cut so short. On the occasion of the posthumous conferral of Anjool’s MA by the University, we are therefore very pleased to have the opportunity of remembering Anjool’s life and achievements in the company of his family and St Peter’s friends”.
Aruna, a fellow-student who travelled from Canada to attend Anjool’s funeral on 14 July last year sent his good wishes, saying: “I’m so glad to know that Jools’ life and spirit will be celebrated at St Peter’s. He was a great friend to me and to so many other people. He brightened up our lives at the College and made a lasting impression on all of us”.
Malini, also a fellow-alumnus, is kindly helping with the plans for the Memorial Tea and released a statement on behalf of Anjool’s friends attending the event: “Anjool was a vibrant and popular character at St. Peter’s College and he is deeply missed. We are very grateful to the college for helping us to organise a quiet gathering in memory of our friend, and we’d like to thank Anjool’s parents, Bharat and Naina, for joining us. We often speak fondly of Anjool and the time we spent with him at university. We grew up together in the safe and happy environment of college so it seems entirely fitting that we should return to pay our own tribute to him.”
“Jools” was a 24-year-old stockbroker and nightclub entrepreneur who died after falling from London restaurant Coq d’Argent near the Bank of England at 12:10pm on Sunday 5th July, two days before his birthday. In his own words on Twitter he had claimed to be ‘living the dream’ and was expected by colleagues to be promoted at the firm where he worked to Vice President in 2010 which would have made him one of the youngest in the industry. With everything to live for, his death has continued to baffle friends and family. The Coroner had described him at the conclusion of his Inquest in February thus: “This young man had everything to live for, talent, liked by everybody, worked hard for his friends, and came to an untimely end in July last year… he was a high achiever who set very high targets for himself..”.
The registration for the Anjool Maldé Memorial Trust is well underway and the interim vehicle for donations remains at www.anjool.org
The funds collected so far are already beginning to sponsor a number of awards in keeping with the Trust’s aim of inspiring and rewarding talent (See: Friends and Family Set Up Memorial Trust for Stockbroker Anjool Maldé: http://tinyurl.com/24u3sqb). Some very promising entries have been received for the Student Personality of the Year Award of £2,000 for which the adjudication is now under way. Entries for the Student Journalism Award of £500 are still open and the deadline is 6 June 2010 (contact Ravi: ravichopra2007@gmail.com). Discussions have also begun to put in place an annual student award tenable at Anjool’s College in keeping with his friends’ wishes to commemorate his time at St Peter’s.
A further exciting development is an initiative by the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust (ALMT) with which Anjool was associated. ALMT have set in play plans for an endowment in Anjool’s memory with a target initial amount of £20,000 to fund an annual scholarship of £800 awarded to a worthy beneficiary pursuing studies at an Oxford College. The ALMT website had been the first to toast Anjool’s qualities at the news of his death on 7 July 2009: “Anjool was already destined for greatness but already in his short life achieved a huge amount. He was a firebrand, a gentleman and possessed the greatest of gifts – a civic responsibility”.
As the anniversary of Anjool’s sad demise approaches (5 July), his friends are actively planning an anniversary event both to celebrate his life as well as to raise funds for his Trust. Close to where Anjool grew up in Tees Valley, Helen Tucker is planning to devote a 10km sponsored run to raise funds for his Trust this summer.
Naina and Bharat, Anjool’s parents, extend their warm gratitude to everyone involved in his remembrance: Oxford University & St Peter’s College, Malini and other College alumni providing the intellectual and creative leadership for the Memorial Tea, the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust and its supporters for their wonderful initiative, David Langer, Ravi Chopra, Barry Bagirathan, Michael Kay and others among Anjool’s wide network of warm supporters involved with Anjool’s Memorial Trust & plans for the anniversary event and Helen Tucker for her planned 10km fund-raising run.
They said: “It is heart-warming to see the continued support and wonderful gestures to keep Anjool’s memory alive. We are confident all these kind contributions will serve to inspire and support exactly the kind of positive, ambitious spirit that Jools seemed to embody and engender in others. We thank everyone and wish them a bright future, particularly the forthcoming worthy beneficiaries of the many Memorial Awards.”
