Baroness Margaret Josephine McDonagh 26/06/1961 – 24/06/2023

Margaret on the Phipps Bridge estate with Karen Peck, Club mascot Haydon and Philip Rudling

The Foundation was very saddened to hear that former Trustee Baroness Margaret McDonagh had passed away on Saturday.   She was central in supporting the formation of the Foundation in its early years from 2013 onwards and was a key figure on the Board of Trustees until 2020, helping to shape the strategic direction of the organisation and ensuring the Foundation maximised its impact.   She was always fiercely supportive of the staff team at the Foundation and always willing to actively support the fundraising campaigns of the charity and work to develop new projects that supported less advantaged adults, children and families across Merton, Kingston, and Wandsworth. 

A good example of her championing work was the Foundation’s delivery of a school holiday project on the Phipps Bridge estate, Mitcham in 2019 that provided free sports, drama, and arts activity during the summer holidays for 60 children per week, along with a daily hot meal to counter holiday period hunger. Margaret led, alongside Foundation trustees, staff and volunteers a raffle selling drive around the ground before a Foundation Day home match at Kingsmeadow in March 2019, generating £10,000 funding for this successful pilot project that has since evolved into a programme that supports 200 families each Easter and Summer holidays.   She also personally supported the Foundation by covering the costs of photographers at key events and enabling the use of her House of Lords offices for Foundation Trustee meetings.

Foundation Director Philip Rudling said, ‘Margaret was an awe-inspiring figure and leader at the Foundation when I arrived in 2017 and very clear- minded as to the social impact she felt that the Foundation should achieve working with local communities.   Her drive and determination matched her enthusiasm and affection for the football club, and she was totally behind its move back to Plough Lane and its return to its home borough.’  He added, ‘Margaret was very much a guide for myself as a new Foundation Director and personally supported my development as a leader, whilst always going the extra mile to help and support staff and participants.   I will always remember her joy and enthusiasm in giving me and colleagues a personal tour of the Houses of Parliament after a Trustee meeting and showing us where the Labour Leader of the Opposition stood at Question Times.   She is a massive loss to the football club, Foundation, Merton, and the House of Lords.’

Margaret is pictured on the Phipps Bridge estate with fellow trustee and close friend Karen Peck, Club mascot Haydon, and Foundation Director Philip. Karen adds “Margaret brought a passion and energy like no other to AFC Wimbledon Foundation and was committed to using the power of sport to change people’s lives for the better. Her legacy is that the Club’s charities are stronger than ever.”