Vera Jefferson was a remarkable fundraiser who achieved memorable success at Oxfam. A regional fundraiser with responsibility for fundraising in three counties, she created the first Oxfam second-hand bookshop. She advised and inspired many other Oxfam bookshops in the UK and further afield. By 2004 her creation had grown into the largest second-hand book retailer in Europe!

I met Vera when I co-founded a student fundraising group for Oxfam in 1986 at Oxford University. We ran two annual campaigns – a university-wide raffle (which surprisingly seems to live on 40 years later at a few colleges) and a sponsored 100-mile run. Vera was my first fundraising manager for a year in the first role in my career.

She was an astonishing fundraiser and leader, determined, commercially focused, unbelievably well-connected in and around Oxford, and someone who asked without fear.

There is of course far more to Vera than just the time I worked with her. So I am sharing, with permission, her son Tim Jefferson‘s eulogy at her funeral on 12th February 2021.

Maria Vera Jefferson

Maria Vera Jefferson (1932 – 2021), always known as Vera, was one of those people who you could not ignore. She was full of boundless energy and as one of life’s natural organisers, was at the centre of most of things, during her long, varied and active life.

Vera was born in Bratislava in 1932, the only child of Alice and Charles Braun, into a large Jewish family at an increasingly dangerous time for Jews in Europe. Her father, with the help of the British Labour Party, brought the family to the UK as refugees, Vera was 7 years old, arriving on a coal boat in May 1939.

It is difficult to imagine the trauma she experienced in coming to a strange country, when she didn’t even speak the language. Her father, a doctor had to retrain in Bristol, which was being heavily bombed at the time. So, Vera was separated from her parents and evacuated to Sussex, to be looked after by two spinsters. The ‘Aunties’ as she called them did a great job and Vera remained very close to them for the rest of their lives.

Perhaps these early life experiences led Vera to live her life to the full, as she surely did. Vera returned from the Aunties towards the end of the war to live with her parents who were now settled in Oxford, where she went to Milham Ford School. There, Vera not only did well at her studies but also excelled at most sports., including playing mixed hockey, with her friend of over 70 years, Pete Espe.

After leaving school, Vera moved to London to work at the Canadian Embassy. It was here that she met up again with a young man, Brian Jefferson, she had first met in a golf bunker, some years before. Vera and Brian spent increasing amounts of time together in the London coffee bars and Jazz clubs, and at the age of 23, Vera married Brian. Brian’s calm rational approach to life was a perfect foil to Vera’s energy and fiery nature, and he provided the rock on which she was able to pursue her activities and interests throughout her life.

In 1962, now with three children, Vera and Brian moved to Oxford into Danesfield, on Boars Hill. This was their much-loved family home for nearly 50 years and there, Vera fully embraced the local Boars Hill community, organising and actively participating in events.

Her real drive however was helping people. Throughout her life she was involved in charitable work and she took ‘giving back’ to a whole new level. Vera was never just a tin rattler, she was someone who really got things done. Vera always knew what was needed and was never afraid to ask people to donate, participate or support in some way. For most, it was just easier to say yes, as once Vera had decided, she would not take no as an answer.

Charitable achievements

Her list of charitable achievements is a testament to her life. She was part of the Ladies Circles and Round Table team that started the annual Oxford Firework display in South Park, persuading colleges to lend their kitchens to cook soup and hot dogs and auction houses to donate furniture for the bonfire.

In the 1970’s she was instrumental in setting up a specially adapted house, Taylor House Cheshire Home, enabling disabled students to study in Oxford for the first time. This was way before the Disabilities Rights Act and a major milestone for inclusivity.

She then decided to make charity her profession, and in the late 1970’s started work as a fundraiser for Oxfam, organising a wide range of events which required great skill, stamina and energy to ensure they were successful. These included the June Fair, Sealed Knot civil war re-enactment battles and a Who concert at Wembley Stadium.

One of her proudest achievements was in 1987, establishing the first Oxfam Bookshop in Oxford with a group of friends and pushing for the development of a national chain which Head Office did not believe would make money. Her commitment never diminished both encouraging others to volunteer and still volunteering herself until late 2019.

But she did more than just big events. For example, through SOS Children Villages she sponsored several orphaned children in Africa and corresponded for many years with one boy in particular, right up to her death. For most people her charitable work would have been enough, but Vera’s passion and energy for the things she was interested in was limitless.

She was a very keen potter, teaching evening classes at the College of Further Education at Wheatley. It was driving there during the 1973 Oil crisis when speed limits were reduced that she received her one and only speeding fine, you can imagine how she felt about that!

Both her and Brian loved art and helped set up of Modern Art Oxford, MAO, in 1965. She was active in setting up the Friends, helped develop the archives and organised many memorable art trips across the UK and Europe, which her friends and family were encouraged to join. She became a Patron and continued to attend private views, and exhibitions for the rest of her life.

Vera also sat for many years as a lay person on the Rent Assessment Panel which was established to set fair rents for tenants.

Despite so much time devoted to all these activities she still had time to pursue a range of other hobbies. She travelled all over the world with Brian on bird watching and nature holidays, including developing her love of owls.

Just sitting on the beach was definitely not her thing. She loved live music and theatre. The Towersey Folk festival became an annual event (with children, grandchildren and friends in tow), she regularly attended lunchtime organ concerts in the Oxford Town Hall and enjoyed immensely organised theatre and music trips, well into her 80’s. She had a keen interest in visiting gardens and with Brian established a beautiful garden in Danesfield.

She was active in local politics and even though the Labour Party brought her and her parents to the UK, she actively supported the Liberals, right up to the last election.

She loved swimming and was part of the Oxford Swimming Club, with the added a social dimension of breakfast after their swim on Sunday mornings. It was the swimming pool at Pegasus that was one of the reasons she was so keen to move into Pegasus in 2009, after Brian died. She definitely made use of it and she was still using the pool three times a week until November last year.

At Pegasus Vera’s natural energy, drive, enthusiasm and organisational skills came to the fore. She was Chair of the Social Committee, organised many lunches and cinema trips, with her friends and neighbours. She also helped establish the herb garden above the swimming pool for everyone’s use.

Vera lived life to the full and never compromised. If she was not happy with you, she did not hold back. When she decided to do something there was no stopping her, which is why she achieved so much. But what shone through was her determination to help others, her indomitable spirit, her energy, her support, her encouragement and her love of her family, especially for Brian and her mother.

She was immensely proud of her family and leaves behind, her three children, five grandchildren, who have amazing memories of her. Four great grandchildren, ex-daughter in laws and partners, who she remained really good friends with until the end.

Throughout her life she made many friends, whom she remained close to for the rest of her life. A lot of them have written to us with some wonderful perspectives and stories of Vera, and Sue has selected a few to share with you now.

Tributes to Vera

Sue Maglione: I think the following tributes capture something of the spirit of Mum.

Let me start with the Oxfam Bookshop which was so important to her. Her Manager messaged:

“I know how much she loved the bookshop and was rightly proud of what she had achieved with Oxfam. She was an instrumental part of that small group of people who convinced Oxfam that specialist bookshops would be a great success – not only as a way of raising funds but also as great places to work.

“In the simple but determined act of making Oxfam do the right thing all those years ago, Vera has an amazing legacy. Not just the hundreds of millions of pounds raised but in my opinion, even more important, the hundreds of millions of happy hours and days and experiences enjoyed by like-minded people with a shared vision.

“And all of this because Vera and some of her friends had a really good idea.

“She always had a kind word to say, a lovely warm smile and that slightly mischievous twinkle in her eye”.

Modern Art Oxford was another passion and the Director wrote:

“Vera was a very special lady, who was at the beating heart of our organisation connecting us in the present to its historic, founding moment. I always enjoyed her warm, intelligent and engaged company and the enthusiasm with which she approached work and our connection with local communities. She was always so kind and supportive to me and the team”.

The Chief Curator said:

“I loved talking with Vera about MAO. One of my favourite moments was when we met, so I could show her around an exhibition. We both turned up wearing matching outfits (leopard print top, black trousers). She was so present and smart and insightful. Her deep engagement with art was energising to be around, and she was a deeply cool woman”.

Mum spent the last 12 years of her life very happily at Pegasus and these are two of the many lovely tributes we have received.

“Vera was a stalwart of our community at Pegasus Grange, and in her early days here was a very effective member of our Social Committee. I remember telling her that she had made a difference to our lives”.

“She was very welcoming to me when I came to Pegasus and invited me to many events, especially at Boars Hill. We became good friends and I enjoyed meals out with her, particularly Sunday lunches at the Duke of Monmouth. She was proud of the fact that she continued to make it to the swimming pool at 7am!

“She is certainly one of those who lived life to the full and made good use of her gifts, and will always be something of a Pegasus legend I think”.

I particularly like these final comments.

“To say she had ‘character’ was to ‘downsize’ her. She had heaps of it and knowledge and fun.”

And from her longest living friend Peter Espe:

“The Jefferson clan can be very proud of Dear Vera who has lived a life so hugely fulfilled.”

Oxfam will remember Vera with gratitude

Tim Jefferson also shared a copy of a letter from the Chief Executive of Oxfam on learning of Vera’s death.

“So many people within Oxfam have been saddened by the news. Vera committed a significant part of her life to supporting Oxfam and, by doing so, has helped to raise vital funds for the organisation. She did great work as an employee of Oxfam between the years of 1978 – 1992 in the role of Area Fundraiser and I gather that it was during that time that she played a major part in the conception and setting up of one of the first specialist Oxfam bookshops. The model of specialist bookshops was real innovation at the time and is now replicated across 145 shops in Great Britain, which together contribute significant funds for Oxfam GB’s global work. Your mother has therefore left a great legacy.

“It is for her long-standing commitment as a volunteer that she will also be remembered. She gave continued, regular support in the St Giles bookshop that she had helped to establish. She brought such a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team and will be missed greatly.

“I understand, too, that Vera was a prominent and very well-liked member of the Oxford Oxfam Group and her work for this organisation in fundraising and campaigning was much appreciated. Thanks to her experience in the bookshop, she was always happy to help and advise on the pricing of books at the bi-annual [Oxford] Book Fairs.

“As a reflection of the respect that colleagues had for Vera and her work, she was invited to be an Oxfam Friend. There will be many colleagues within Oxfam Friends who will remember her with admiration and affection…

“At this very sad time I hope you will be able to take comfort and pride from the fact that through her association with Oxfam, Vera made a difference: to members of the community who knew her and all those people across the world who were supported by her work.

“Oxfam will remember Vera with gratitude”.

Dr Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah
Chief Executive, Oxfam GB
12 February 2021

More thoughts on Vera

Vera achieved other commercial firsts while at Oxfam. She set up the UK’s first paper-recyling fundraising scheme with a supermarket, Sainsburys at Hayford Hill, operating seven days a week.

Vera’s impact on fundraising lives on in other ways. Two of us from the Oxford student group that turned up on her doorstep to ask if we could fundraise for Oxfam went on to have lifelong careers as fundraisers.

Martin Edwards has just marked 20 years as Chief Executive of Julia’s House children’s hospice in Dorset and Wiltshire. He worked for Save the Children and Highland Hospice. He has been active recently in asking the government to provide more funding to ensure hospice provision survives the continuing financial crisis. And he still takes part in unbelievable physical challenges to raise funds for Julia’s House.

You’re reading this site and UK Fundraising because Vera showed me what a career in fundraising might look like. It certainly was never proposed as a profession at school or university. She urged me to see it as a profession and to join the then Institute of Charity Fundraising Managers, what is now the Chartered Institute of Fundraisers. (I took pleasure in letting her know I was elected a Fellow of the Institute in 2012).

When I ran my nationwide series of unconference-inspired events Fundraising Camp 12 years ago I chose to hold the first one in Oxford, where my fundraising career started, and so that I could invite Vera to show her where I had taken the inspiration she had given me.

One other lesson from Vera was to do the right thing and stick with it. She told me of the time of the Hungarian Uprising in October and November 1956. She and Brian were appalled at the treatment of the students and others protestors and wanted to help. So they and a small group of friends gathered and asked for donated goods and drove a caravan across Europe to the border to provide help to the refugees.

Fundraising and acting with purpose. I couldn’t have asked for a better guide.