Hope for South Africa's Children is a Registered Charity (UK) Number 1106844

MEET OUR TRUSTEES
Our charity is managed by six trustees - allow us to introduce ourselves

NEVILLE

Neville Fairbairn

Retired Optometrist, married to Sheila with three children and four grandchildren.

Other interests; I sing in a Male Voice Choir, play in a brass band and for church services, treasurer of our local walking group and keep busy with childminding duties for our grandchildren. I spent two weeks working at Rehoboth in 2006 as part of a team from Prudhoe Methodist Church. On our return I offered to help the Trustees in whatever way I could and agreed to become Treasurer for HFSAC.

SALLY
This is me three years
ago as proud grandma
for the first time

Sally Leat

I live in the beautiful county of Northumberland. I am delighted to have been asked to join the board of trustees as I have very fond memories of visiting Rehoboth as part of a church work party in 2006. I am a sponsor and as such have kept up to date with the progress and development of the children’s village over the years with great interest. I am very pleased that we are able to look at related projects and at times award grants to help keep a crèche open or help fund educational work at Rehoboth from donations received. A little money goes a long way in South Africa and can make life changing differences to people living with HIV/AIDS. God works wonders with a little help from us. One day I would like to return to see how Rehoboth has changed.

I am a retired teacher of children with special educational needs and now currently work part-time as a tutor for undergraduates and post-graduates with dyslexia at Northumbria University. I have three grown-up daughters, one a teacher, one a bird scientist and one a medical doctor (who has spent time at Rehoboth and its local hospital when she was doing her elective rotation). I have one three year old grand-daughter, who is a delight but who lives three hours away by road and therefore I only see periodically. I have a few past times, walking, running, gardening, reading and I have my own ceramics studio where I enjoy making pots and getting messy.

David Smith

I retired at the end of 2000 after a career in sales and marketing, hoping [with my wife Glen] to find a short-term mission placement somewhere in the third world. As a family we always had an interest in children having fostered & adopted children. I was also a Samaritan for a number of years and chair of the Tyneside branch. We were also active in our local church.

In 2001 our search led us to South Africa with WEC where we helped set up Rehoboth Children’s Village for children infected & affected by HIV. This has led to us spending up to 6 months a year in S.A. In 2004 we registered Hope for South Africa’s Children to support the work of the Village and other projects with which we are linked.

Glenys Smith

I have always had affinity with children, being a Sunday School teacher and a Tawny Owl in my teens. I trained as an Infants’ Teacher and after having our own family (3 children) we adopted 2 more. We also fostered many short stay children. Subsequently, in my forties, I retrained as a Social Worker and specialised in family placement. As well as training carers for Rehoboth, I helped to establish a foster care programme with another organisation and introduced training in Attachment and Bonding to Social Welfare organisations.

DAVID & GLEN

ANN

Ann Worthy

I am married to Bill, we have two daughters, four grand-children & four great-grand children.

I am a Local Preacher in the Methodist Church, I also help to run a Community Lunch Club at the church.

ELIZABETH

Dr Elizabeth Veal

I lead a research group at Newcastle University investigating how cells respond to oxygen-based signals to protect against damage associated with many diseases. I also teach biochemistry and genetics. My connection with HFSAC began when my family began sponsoring one of the children at Rehoboth Children’s village in 2004. It has been wonderful to be part of her life as she has grown up and she really feels like part of our family.

I have been fortunate enough to visit South Africa as a tourist and as part of collaborations with South African scientists at the University of Stellenbosch and University of Kwa Zulu Natal. I was happy to become an HFSAC trustee in 2020, as I have witnessed the real difference that the sponsorship and outreach programmes can make in addressing the needs of young people. I am particularly passionate about HFSAC initiatives that are enabling children to receive better education and training. I believe this will make the single biggest difference to their futures and the communities they come from.