About Us
We are a charity based in London and we aid local organisations supporting children in developing countries. This page will tell you more about what we do.
Scroll down or click one of the links below to find out more about CHW.
Our Mission Statement
What We Believe
What We Do
Contact Us
Who Works for Us?
Message from our Founder
We aim to help support non-governmental organisations and other institutions, in developing parts of the world, whose aim is to advance in life and relieve the needs of children, through
(a) giving grants; and
(b) where appropriate, supplying resources.
Children are one of the most vulnerable groups of people in the world and there are so many who do not receive the care they need and deserve. Some people are motivated to take steps in their own communities to help children by forming or working for local organisations and institutions. We think that the best people to work with children are from such local establishments because they will truly understand the needs of the children they support. Without the input of local establishments, we do not believe that development could be sustainable.
We have two primary aims in supporting local organisations. The first is to help enable them to give the children the best possible childhood they can have, despite their difficult circumstances. The second is to help them to allow the children to develop and learn skills that will help them as adults.
We work closely with local organisations and institutions that support children in developing countries. We discuss the needs of the children with the directors and staff of the establishments and then raise money, so that they can provide the best care possible for the children.
We originally set up a pilot scheme at New Life International Orphanage in Cape Coast, Ghana. This has been a great success and we expanded to help more organisations in different parts of the world. Once we have set up a link with an organisation, we will work with them for as long as they need us to.
By email:
info@chworldwide.org
By post:
Children's Helpers Worldwide,
2, Brookfield Avenue,
London, W5 1LA
Board of Trustees:
Catherine Franks, Director, Chair of Trustees (pictured at South African project)
 | At eighteen, I volunteered at New Life International Children's Home. I wanted to stay involved, as I loved the children and was in awe of what the founder, Ruby, was doing for them. After fundraising individually, I thought forming an organisation could help more. Anna and Emma studied law at Aberystwyth with me, and became founding trustees of CHW, along with my father, Joe. I took a gap year, travelled, and established links with the other organisations we support. I also did internships at the South African Human Rights Commission, and at the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, in Ghana, where I met Andrew, our newest trustee. After completing an LLM at UCL, in public law and human rights, I undertook a children's rights internship at the University of Western Cape. The people running the local organisations are inspirational, and I am glad we can all work together for a brighter future for the children they help. |
Anna Booth (pictured at Romanian project)
 | I met Catherine whilst we were studying Law together at The University of Wales, Aberystwyth. I'm proud to be a trustee of CHW, and I've enjoyed fundraising for the charity. I visited Romania twice in 2009; I volunteered at the Sacele hospital and visited Casa Mea, the children's home. I hope to be able to visit some of CHW's other projects in future. I have recently completed the Legal Practice Course in London, and have just started my Training Contract to qualify as a Solicitor. |
Andrew Borland
 | I studied Law with Politics at the University of Hull before undertaking a Masters in International Human Rights Law at Birmingham City University. This gave me a strong interest in helping people exercise their human and civil rights. As part of my Masters, I undertook an internship with a law firm which represents clients on death row. Additionally, I have worked with a human rights organisation in Ghana, and this is where I met Catherine. More recently, I have completed the Legal Practice Course in London, and am currently working as a paralegal for the British Transport Police. I am keen to visit some of CHW's projects in the future. |
Emma Hughes (pictured at Ghanaian project)
 | I graduated in law from Aberystwyth University where I first met Catherine and Anna. Anna and I identified with what Catherine wanted to achieve and became founding trustees for CHW. I undertook the Diploma in Legal Practice at Swansea University whilst continuing to fundraise for our projects. During a break from my studies I visited CHW's two projects in Ghana: New Life International Children's Home and Sankofa Mbofra Fie, where I spent time teaching Science and ICT and caring for the children. I would recommend visiting any of CHW's projects and believe that once you meet the children, they will change your life for the better forever. I will be returning to Ghana before commencing my MA in Social Work at Cardiff University. |
Joe Franks
 | I am a physicist with degrees MSC, PhD and am a Fellow of the Institute of Physics. I have developed a coating, known as diamond-like carbon. This coating may be applied to medical implants in the body, to protect the body from any adverse effects. I have started a company producing this coating. I was very interested and impressed by the initiative shown by my daughter in forming an organisation to aid children and which is working very effectively in achieving its aims. |
Other Members of Staff:
We would like to emphasize that everyone who works for CHW does so voluntarily
Jana Liebau, Coordinator of CHW Germany, (pictured at Romanian project)
 | Jana heard about CHW as she was volunteering with the Atelier Sacelean Association, in Romania, when CHW first established a link with them. She has independently collected and sent needed items to the Atelier Sacelean Association, and also helped with CHW's appeal supporting children's sports programmes in South Africa. She became the Coordinator of CHW Germany, and held her first fundraiser, a charity concert, in Rostock. She has translated this website, so we will have a German version, and can reach even more people who want to help the children. |
Marie-Lise Despeghel, Appeals Assistant, UK (pictured at Romanian project)
 | Marie-Lise originally got in touch with CHW so she could sponsor a child at New Life International Orphanage in Ghana. She then became more involved with our appeals, collecting items to send to Florentino Ameghino School in Argentina and clothes for our projects in Romania, as well as helping with a coin collection for children in South Africa. She joined us on our volunteer trip to Romania and became our Appeals Assistant. She is based in Brighton, and supports various appeals for CHW from there. |
Volunteers:
Patricia Reed, Secretary to the trustees
Louise Lam, Fundraising Volunteer
Manuela Bugan Project Assistant, Brasov, Romania
Mara Gheorghe, Student Representative at UCL
We would like to thank Anne Mascellani, a graphic designer, for volunteering and designing our logo. You can see more about her work on her own website: avangardesign.com.
Patron
Steve Parkinson
Steve Parkinson is our patron. He is the Managing Director of Kiss and Magic, two of the UK's most successful music media brands, spanning radio, tv and online. Each of the forty three Bauer radio stations now has Cash for Kids charities, of which Steve is a patron and board member. In addition Steve is on the fundraising board of Nordoff Robbins - the music therapy charity for children. It is wonderful that Steve has become a patron for CHW too. Steve has supported our projects of installing a water tank at New Life International Orphanage in Ghana, and building a playground there. He recently held a fundraiser where he raised enough so that a classroom can now be built at the orphanage school.
He has said that he is "delighted to support Catherine and Children's Helpers Worldwide, especially as fundraisers can see the tangible results she and the team deliver. If you raise ten quid for an orphanage, the ten quid is spent on the orphanage." We are so pleased to have Steve as our patron.
Thank you for taking the time to look at this website! I just want to tell you a little about how Children's Helpers Worldwide was started. During my gap year, I was a volunteer at New Life International Orphanage in Ghana, West Africa. The founder of the orphanage is called Ruby Ayivorh. She is an inspirational woman who cares deeply for other people. I lived in her house with her and her family and taught in the orphanage school every day. After leaving, I could not bear the thought of not going back, and returned the following summer. I started to fundraise to help the orphanage in a practical way.
While visiting China, I met another inspirational woman, called Gao Ya Li. Her son has cerebral palsy and she established the Shanghai Bo Ai Rehabilitation Centre to help him and other children. I wanted to be able to help this centre too.
I then decided to set up this charity, Children's Helpers Worldwide, because I thought it would be an effective way to fundraise and help the children. I also believe that it is essential to work with local organisations as this will ensure that we provide the right help depending on the children's needs, and will also allow development to be sustainable. Last year we expanded, setting up projects in other countries. We are now focusing on getting people involved with fundraising for the various projects. Please do send me an email if you yourself would like to fundraise.
Being a small charity means we are able to work very closely with the organisations we support, and can then really see the differences that are being made. I want to thank everyone who has supported us so far, and would love to hear from anyone who would like to get involved with making a real difference to the lives of these children.
Warm wishes,
Catherine
catherine@chworldwide.org
