This month we were delighted to talk to Margot Chaundler OBE, a former member of Roedean's Council of Trustees. One of the first women to be appointed to the Administrative Class in the Ministry of Defence, Margot was appointed OBE in the 1991 Gulf War Honours and served in a range of appointments for 25 years. She also served on the Board of Governors of several schools and currently serves on the Board of Governors at Haberdashers’ Aske’s School.

What is your favourite memory of Roedean?

My favourite memory of Roedean is a Saturday night lecture when the great traveller and Arabist Freya Stark gave an illustrated talk about her expedition to the Minaret of Jam, in Afghanistan. I was deeply impressed that a woman could have achieved such a feat, as well as travelling extensively in Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia. This engendered a desire to travel in the Muslim world and to learn about Islamic art and architecture.

What was the best piece of advice you were given whilst at School?

The best advice was to believe in oneself and to aim to fulfil one’s dreams. That way, everything was possible. Looking back, I am not certain that I always lived up to that goal; but it has served me well through the vicissitudes of life.

When you were at Roedean, what did you want to be when you ‘grew-up’?

That is a difficult question to answer, partly because my ideas changed over my time at the school and partly because I did not think seriously about the question until my final year at university. But in general, I wanted to live and work with people.

What are you now you've grown up?

Nowadays, I run an educational charity that supports needy girls of secondary school age at independent schools throughout the UK. During the 10 years that I have worked with the charity it has grown from supporting 12 girls to supporting 63! For the first time, it is supporting two unrelated girls who have been placed under the care of their respective local authorities at different boarding schools. It is incredibly satisfying to have helped so many people benefit from a good education.

What does your job involve?

The job involves a lot of dealings with individual families, many of whom are in very difficult circumstances, often as a result of death, divorce and physical or mental illness. Many of the girls have become young carers.  Some live in incredibly difficult conditions, some have been abused.

What have you done that you are most proud of?

I am proud of the fact that, despite working full-time, I have brought up two lovely children, both of whom have embarked on successful careers of their own. 

What are the three objects you would take with you to a desert island?

A telescope so that I could look at the night sky; a fishing rod so that I could eat fish and lastly, my glasses so that I could not only read the Bible and other book that is traditionally placed on the island by Radio 4; but could also be used to light a fire to cook my fish.

What books have had a significant influence on you and why?

 “The Road to Oxiana” by Robert Byron, which although written in the 1930s is one of the most eloquent and informative books about travel to Central Asia that I have ever read.

“The Hare with the Amber Eyes” by Edmund de Waal for the brilliant use of a collection of beautiful netsuke carved objects to bookend the treatment of one family during the holocaust.

“East-West Street” by Philippe Sands, for its mixture of the profoundly personal story of members of one family living in Hapsburg Lviv to the Nuremburg trials, covering both the origins of the legal terms of “genocide” and “crimes against humanity” and the improbable formation of a friendship with the son of the Commandant of Auschwitz.

 “My Name is Red” by Orhan Pamuk for its depiction of romance and murder amongst the artists at the seventeenth century Ottoman court.

What is on your bucket list?

I would like to indulge in more long-haul travel.  India is a great favourite.  The palaces, mosques, temples, forts and wildlife are stunning.  The contrasts in scenery are spectacular and the people are friendly and interested. But I would also like to visit Chile and perhaps Columbia. The list is endless!

If you had one year and unlimited funds, what would you do?

Donate the money to a number of educational charities so that more children could have the benefit of a really good education.