Meet the Team 2025 - Alice

My name is Alice, and I am excited to be leading this year’s team alongside Oliver. I am a Teacher and Special Education Needs Co-ordinator for three Primary Schools in inner city London. In 2023 I also spent the year volunteer teaching in a Primary School near Durban, so South Africa really is like a second home! I love my job, and it is a privilege to walk alongside vulnerable children and their families, and I feel the same about spending time in South Africa and Mafambisa.

I have visited Mafambisa and Hands at Work for a number of years with a number of teams and every time is different and special. I am excited to be returning back home to the ‘Hands Family’ - to be hanging out and encouraging the Care Workers and spending time with the children that we have come to know and love over the years. I love to chop vegetables particularly the beetroot!! I love that they are excited to see those of us that have been before and get to know those that they haven’t! It is like a family reunion!

Every time I am blown away by the joy and hope that shines out of the Care Point, Care Workers, Service Centre and ultimately the children. Mafambisa and other Care Points that we have and will visit are beacons of light in a broken and hurt community but yet despite challenges the children are put at the forefront!

My prayers for this year as we embark on our trip are;

- Safe travels to SA and around the Care Points

- For the team to be able to encourage and empower the Care Workers and Service Centre - that we maybe a blessing to them in the short time we are there

- For the ‘first timers’ on the team are to experience Gods love peace as we journey and navigate this together

- That the whole team will hear from God, be lead by his Spirit and be changed by these next two weeks

- For fun and laughter in every aspect of our trip

Meet the Team 2025 - Pippa

 

Hi I’m Pippa, I’m 16 years old and this year will be my second trip to South Africa as part of the St. Andrews Team.

Visiting last summer had a big impact on me and so I was very excited at the opportunity to return again this year as part of our ongoing partnership with Mafambisa. I am looking forward to revisiting the people we met last year and also getting the opportunity to visit new places and people this time.

I have just finished my GCSE’s and am beginning to prepare for Sixth Form in September.

This year I am going to South Africa without my parents for the first time and I am excited to have this experience with a different group of people including members of the team for whom this will be their first time in South Africa.

I would like to thanks everyone who has helped with the fundraising, that allows me to go on this trip, it is greatly appreciated.

Meet the Team 2025 - Nick

 

Hi, I’m Nick and I am looking forward to being part of the team going out to Africa this year.

As a member of the Country Fayre team, I remember Chris Parker, sometime ago, suggesting ‘Hands at Work’ as a chosen charity for that year.  Since then,  we as a parish, have forged the partnership with them.

For me, to make contact with Mafambisa is something I had wished to do, but due to my father’s illness, I felt I was unable to be away, whilst he was alive.  Dad and I spoke about the opportunity and I travel to Africa knowing that he knew I intended to go at some point in the future.

Throughout my Christian life in St Andrew’s parish,  it has been to serve God, whether it be in the Church or through volunteering with Scouting and involvement with the Biggleswade Community.

The trip to Africa, for me, will be to see the work that Hands at Work do and for me to be able to offer my support to them at the Community point and beyond.

I am happy to join the St Andrew’s team and make a connection with the care workers and children that we pray for week by week,

Having raised monies to build the community building and a new toilet block, through Neptune Cub Pack, it will be great for me to see these building and to see the difference that it has made to their community.

Please pray for me and all the team as we travel to Africa to do God’s work.

Meet the Team 2025 - Noah

 Hi I am Noah, This year will be my first time going out to South Africa, although over the years I have been involved with many fundraiser events to support teams going out to South Africa.

I have also heard the amazing stories and experiences that teams have had, with both my parents and 3 other siblings having gone out with teams in the past. I am a student paramedic who is due to graduate in 2026. As part of my course I have had the privilege to help people at some of their worst moments in their lives and providing people of all ages with care and compassion.

I am very excited to see that amazing work which is going on in the communities we visit and hope to meet some of the people that I have heard so much about over the years. I have known the team mates for a long time with one of the team being a life long role model.

Meet the Team 2025 - Rachel

 

Hi, I am Rachel and this is my first time going to South Africa. I have been to fundraising events in the past for teams going to Africa. I have read and heard so many stories from others who have been so I am very excited to see what goes on in the communities and how it all works. I’ve heard so many positive things about what it’s like there in regard to faith and the connection to god and I am looking forward to see the communities ways of worshipping God.

I am just about to finish college where I studied health and social care at level 3 and I aim to be a British Sign Language Interpreter in the future.

Meet the Team 2025 - Adam

 Hello I’m Adam, I am heading out to South Africa again this year as part of the St Andrews Team, This will be my second time visiting Hands at Work in South Africa.

I am going for a slightly shorter trip than the rest of the team but having been before i will be able to really engage with the experience again and get myself in the right headspace.

I am really looking forward to hopefully revisiting Mafambisa as well as getting to experience new Care points, I also can’t wait to reintegrate within the community of The Hands Hub which i really engaged and connected with on my last visit, engaging with the care workers, Service centre team and Long term volunteers.

I am looking forward to revisiting South Africa and again strengthening my own connection with faith and also revisiting the communities and the incredible people once again.

Meet the 2025 Team - Oliver

 Hello, I'm Oliver and I am heading out as a leader of the 2025 Africa team and I am also a Hands at Work Advocate for St Andrew's. This will be my 3rd visit to Hands at Work in South Africa, although I haven't been for 6 years so very much looking forward to returning.

I am a Paediatric Nurse by profession and work in the Emergency Department so am very used to the unexpected and ever changing situations so am very used to the unpredictability of our community visits.

I am most excited to see the changes that have taken place over the past 6 years within our partner community of Mafambisa since my last visit and to see familiar faces that I remember from my other visits and that we have heard about in the blogs over the last few years. I very much looking forward to being able to support these children and care givers throughout our days in community and to see and support new members of our congregation witness these different communities is something I feel very honoured to be apart of.

Look out for more introductions over the next few weeks.