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Event: 

When Charity begins far from home

Description: Be part of our Heritage Day Charity event, which this year highlights three UK & Ireland founded charities that are making a positive impact in South Africa today.
 
Bob Holt from 'Footprints', Niall Mellon from 'Mellon Educate' and Sir Nick Stadlen of 'Life is Wonderful' will be talking about their charities, each inspired after visiting South Africa for the first time and being incredibly moved by the dire need they witnessed there, leading them to establish initiatives which have impacted thousands of people and helped to change lives for the better.

The Footprints Foundation aims to tackle the problems and issues facing disadvantaged and vulnerable young and elderly people, and those people with significant health issues. They aim to support these people during the most trying periods of their lives and help give them the strength and confidence to enjoy a fulfilled life. Their aim is to support through volunteering and hands on help rather than solely providing financial support.
 
Every year, Mellon Educate organises their now renowned “building blitz” trip to Africa for volunteers from all over the world to travel and lend a helping hand building better infrastructure in poor African communities. In conjunction with the South African government, they’ve housed 175,000 local people in high grade permanent homes, replacing dilapidated shack living conditions. Since 2013, Mellon Educate has set about improving access to better standards of education in African townships.

To date, the charity has built/renovated 32 schools, providing over 50,000 young children with a better chance at life. They are building towards educational programmes throughout Africa that will benefit over 100,000 primary school kids.

Sir Nick Stadlen’s film, "Life is Wonderful: Mandela's Unsung Heroes" was a project sparked by a newspaper article in which Denis Goldberg commented on the passing of Nelson Mandela and honoured the unsung heroes of the Rivonia Trial. Intrigued, Sir Nick reached out to Denis as one of Mandela's surviving fellow accused. That encounter led to a journey, revisiting the history of the Rivonia Trial, speaking to, and gathering the recollections of the surviving accused and lawyers who were central to the trial.

The film is the culmination of that series of interviews in which the surviving roleplayers, at the time, of the monumental Rivonia Trial recount their experiences. The infamous trial saw the sentencing of anti-apartheid activists – including Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Govan Mbeki – to life on Robben Island in 1964. Sir Nick established the Life Is Wonderful Charity with Joel Joffe and John Battersby to educate particularly young people about the struggle in South Africa for human rights.

Watch the replay below:


Date:  6:00pm to 7:00pm, Thu 23rd Sep 2021

Venue:  Zoom





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