I’ve worked with children for years. This has come through my helping raise to beautiful step-daughters from young ages and being actively involved in their school and out of school activities.
Around 2008 I acquired the swim program they were both swimming in, and this was the birth of RU Active Sports Services. Subsequently of course this led in to my involvement with netball, girls football, boys rugby and a few other activities, and has also resulted in my becoming a qualified netball umpire.
It’s one of the most rewarding things I do. They listen, they cooperate, they appreciate. After years of starting up and running businesses it is just refreshing to spend time around those that want to learn, improve, and appreciate the value in what can be shared from others. After the hustle and bustle of business, it is a pleasure to ditch the phone and laptop, pick up a whistle and umpire, sometimes for much of a day. Umpiring suits my personality as well, in control, making decisions, being objective, oh, and no nonsense of course!
As I work in schools, and quite specifically The English College in Dubai, I of course became more involved with the charitable work they do. This has led me to support some projects they have supported. In just the last year or so I have been proud to provide funding and manage the completion of a building project for an orphanage in Nepal, donated laptops, clothes and other essential items to orphans and schools in Tanzania, as well as giving kit to kids doing their Duke of Edinburgh and assisting at schools and orphanages in such areas.
It has of course started now to drift in to my social life as well, and the last couple of holidays I have been on have resulted in my wanting to give back in some way to some of the less privileged places I visit.
During the summer that was Phuket, Thailand. I very much enjoy spending time with friends who live there, and their kids and friends, indeed to the extent I do feel a little like the Pied Piper at times. One friend who lives in Thailand directed me to the Phuket Sunshine Village Foundation and as a result I have had the privilege of being able to support and directly assist to make lives better for the nearly 100 orphans and needy children at this centre in Phuket.
I’m already planning ideas for 2016, and in discussions with people in the know, and can really help with where to direct my resources to make a difference in a very strong way.