Benefactors

Numerous generous contributors have helped keep this project alive, either with one off contributions of funds or equipment, or with more regular help and funding. They range from large organisations which have donated consumables for specific visits or large expense, one-off equipment, to individuals who have simply been moved to send a contribution when hearing about our work. Some suppliers have given us substantial discounts on items of purchased equipment or have provided this at no cost. In this regard, Mercian Instruments deserve mention, providing instruments at substantial discount over many years. Large or small, all contributions have gone directly to front-line use and have made a crucial difference. Etihad Airlines  has been particularly generous  providing flights for our team and defrayed our biggest annual expense between 2007 and 2019 – this has eliminated the cost of flights which constitutes the largest single expense of the trips. The BSSH (British Society for Surgery of the Hand) kindly provided an annual grant from its overseas budget over the years 2011 to 2017.

Other benefactors have provided one-off contributions of a sizeable sum in a particular year – special mention to The Souter Charitable Trust, Hilden Trust, Aviva, Florence Battle, Solent Stevedores, Welbeck Healthcare, Seonaidgh Gibson, Alexander Bell.  In recent years a number of surgeons and therapy workers from Nepal have been sponsored to attend Fellowships of several weeks training in the UK (two in 2012, two in 2015, four in 2016, one in 2017). 

Sincere thanks are extended to all these contributors, on behalf of the leprosy patients they have helped over the years, and on behalf of the numerous local surgeons who have been taught and trained on these visits. Their work in Nepal continues and through their own students, expands.

This continued support and that of others who may, in the future, wish to help is vital.
The last pre-Covid visit was in November 2019. The visits have resumed in January 2023 and plan is laid for the visits to continue each November from November 2o23. 

In addition, a number of individuals have given generously of their time and expertise, on various visits, leaving their work, commitments and families in Britain, often using up precious holiday allocation, to travel as part of successive teams. No individual has received any remuneration of any sort. Carol Crampton, James Rogers and Kate Beresford, were regular members of the team, and crucial to the creation of this project, over the first nine years of visits, in India and Nepal. Nola Lloyd, ConsultantSurgeon in Salisbury, has been a core member of our surgical team to Nepal since 2008 as well as acting as Tour Organiser, Fundraiser and Troubleshooter. She is also a Trustee of Working Hands.

The core team consists of Nola Lloyd, James Rogers, Sam Gidwani and Donald Sammut.

This team has been expanded with the regular addition of Ann Garewal and Jean O’Reilly, Hand Therapists as well as Trudy Davies, or Karl Davies Theatre staff. Others have been part of one or more team visits, some as ‘Buddies’ in preparation for the setting up of their own projects elsewhere. All have performed valuable work and some have gone on to other projects inspired and nurtured by the experience on our team.

Team January 2023