Founders and volunteers

Founders and volunteers

Those attending the 25 year celebration evening heard from some of the founders and our colleagues in Kenya and Malawi as well as some of the team in the UK. 

Those attending the 25 year celebration evening heard from some of the founders and our colleagues in Kenya and Malawi as well as some of the team in the UK. Names that will be familiar to regular readers and supporters – Lenny and Scholastica whose frequent visits to the UK have always inspired; Stephen Ochieng and Alex Campón, who have played key roles over many years; and some of the UK team including Stephen Docherty, William Carson and Steven Hayward. Many of their talks are now on You Tube, along with those by founder Fernando Aguirre, Francis Teo, Albert Salvans and Malawi worker Sarai Zavala Acosta. They can be viewed individually from the following link:

Here’s a taste of what Steven Hayward had to say…

Before becoming a volunteer, I’d been a New Ways supporter and fundraiser from my time at Northern Trust, itself a long-time sponsor of the Ball. 

I remember one evening back then, drinking way too much Chardonnay with Angela and she encouraged me to apply for a place in the London Marathon. Getting in through the ballot meant every penny made a real difference, and in the delirium of finishing the race, I vowed to do it all over again… which I did for New Ways five years later.

In the meantime, I joined the Ball Committee where I got to work with some amazing people. Rob Baker as chairman, Annie Healy, Ellen Gracie, Ann Fairchild, Sophie Mayall… over the years, too many to mention. Mutual careers in the City of London may have brought us together, but I know we were also inspired by Angela’s extraordinary vision, and we shared a passion to organise and host this remarkable event. For 21 years the Ball was the jewel in the crown of our fundraising efforts and raised a million pounds for New Ways.

Often Lenny or Scholastica would be in London on one of those cold, wet November nights, get up on stage, bring a boisterous crowd to a pin-drop hush, and explain the daily struggle for countless people in Turkana, and how New Ways is making a meaningful difference in their lives. Whilst generous sponsorships and donations remained at the heart of the Ball’s success, they would remind us how significant change is also achieved with relatively modest amounts of money. Never was the “power of small” better personified than through their message.’

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