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
Companies and Institutions
* Regular contributors
Aviva Medical
AX Holdings, Malta
Ballards Estate Agency
BAPRAS (British Assoc. of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons) and BFIRST
The Bath Clinic, BMI
Bristol Cathedral
Bristol Cathedral Social Group
Bristol Plastic Surgery
BSSH (British Society for Surgery of the Hand)
British Embassy, Nepal
Cardinal Health
*Circle Healthcare Ltd
De Soutter Medical
DP Medical Ltd
C&P Medical
English Speaking Union, Bristol
Eschmann Holdings
*Etihad Airlines (MAJOR REGULAR SPONSOR)
Freelance Surgical Ltd, Somerset
Gibson Pension and Investments, Glasgow
Hilden Charitable Trust (Major sponsor 2019, 2020/1)
Kingsdown Homegrown, Bristol
London Bridge Hospital,
HCA International
Malosa Medical
*Mercian Surgical Instruments
Mölnlycke Medical
Morton Medical Limited
Nepal Leprosy Trust
Nuffield Hospital, Bristol
Welbeck Health partners
Order of Charity, Malta
OXTED ONE WORLD Group
Pajunk UK
Patterson Medical
Promise Nepal
Qatar Air
SIMPLY SPORTS, Oxted and Reigate
*Solent Stevedores
Spire Hospital, Bristol
St Clare’s College, Malta
St Francis Leprosy Guild
The Hand Clinic Windsor
*The Dwarikas Hotel, Kathmandu
The Portland Hospital, London
The Souter Charitable Trust (Major Sponsor 2018)
The Swedish Association of Handrehabilitation
Valletta Primary School, Malta
Veterinary Instrumentation
Woldingham Parent and Staff Association
* Regular contributors
Individuals
* Regular contributors
Phyllis and Bertie Agius
Ivaylo Andonov
Graham Banfield
Stuart Barton
*Florence Battle
Alexander Bell
*Sue and Steve Berger
Elfi Byfield
Bob and Tamara Bennett
*Sue and Steve Berger
*Neville Boundy
Prof and Mrs John Briggs
Hiske Buddingh
Janet Campbell
Kathryn Carter
Peter and Maureen Clarke
Mark and Pam Cole
Malcolm Coles
Andy and Judy Cordell
Debbie Cox
Marc and Filipa De Chassey
Daniele De Spirito
Rebecca Dunsford
Michael and Margaret Ellis
Michael and Maureen Farrell
Katherine Ferrario
Mike and Aileen Fraser
Trevor and Sue Fry
George and Heather Fussey
Ian Gibson
*Seonaidgh Gibson
Ainslie Goulstone
Barbara Hartel
AR and G Haskey
*Graham Hewitt
Mike Houghton
Magy and Jonathan Hughes
Nina Jameson
Phil and Heather Joannou
Jeremy and Rebecca Johnson Marshall
Susan Kara
Nickie Keyte (Fundraiser)
Jenifer Lander
Diana and Mark Lee
H G M Leighton, A J Leighton
Ellen Leng
Ken and Lesley Loach
*James Lowther (Accountant to Working Hands Charity)
Joanna Lumley
Nola Lloyd (Fundraiser, Team member and Team Organiser)
*Judith Marshall
Paul May
Campbell McGarvie
Thomas McGuire
R Mellor
Katarzyna Milto
Clive Minnitt
Larrie Mitchell
Tim and Leigh Mitchell
Anne and John Nichol
Rosie O’Mahony
Fiona Ormerod (Team member and Fundraiser)
Richard Outhwaits
Marion and Tony Parnis
Ian Pearson
Jill Quinn
Jenny Reid
*Keith Rogers
Norman and Patricia Sage
*Rose Sammut (Fundraiser)
Gina Samways
Geoffrey Sanderson
Frances Sinclair
George Spiteri
Nicola Stanley
Joe and Lucy Sultana
Oswald Tanti
Angela Thomas
Ruth Travis
Alan and Helen Wall
Lucy Wilson
Mark ‘Woody’ Wood
John Wright
David Young
Members of the Surgical Team
Team January 2023:
Davina Cavallaro: Plastic Surgeon, Salisbury
Karl Davies: Theatre, Bath
Ann Garewal: Hand Therapist, London
Jean O’Reilly: Hand Therapist, Dublin
James Rogers: Anaesthetist, Bristol
Donald Sammut: Hand Surgeon, Bath
Francesca Susini, Hand Surgeon, Milan
Past Team Members: Kate Beresford, Hand Therapist; Louis de Bernières, Writer; George Butler, Artist; Lilli Cooper, Surgeon ;Linden Coppell, Etihad Executive; Carol Crampton, Theatre Sister; Peter Dziewulski, Burns Surgeon; Bruce Emerson, Anaesthetist ; Sharmistha (Misty) Gangrekar, Physician; Elena Hughes, Medical Student, USA; Fadi Issa, Surgeon Aylesbury; Nickie Keyte, Fundraiser ; Susan Louie: Hand Therapist; Fiona Ormerod, General Practitioner; Ian Pearson, Dental Surgeon; Penny Penton, Hand Therapist; Richard Raffety, General Practitioner; Eva Sammut, Physician; Alison Shepherd, Theatre Nurse; Rebecca Shirley, Surgeon, Aylesbury; Sarah Tucker, Plastic and Hand Surgeon; David Waller, Nurse; Elizabeth Zeschin, Photographer.