A Fortunate Life, A Meaningful Cause: My Journey to A4C UK

Despite having once been an American, I have lived, worked and raised a family in the UK since 1975.

In 2015 I became a British Citizen – don’t ask why I waited so long – and in 2016 I expatriated and gave up my US citizenship. I’ve done a fair bit of volunteer work over those 50 years, including almost 5 years as a Samaritan and over 11 years as chair of my local community Conservation Area Committee. Most recently in 2018, I co-founded and act as CFO of CryptoMondays London, working with an all volunteer team in what is today the largest networking group in the UK & Europe educating its members in all things crypto, blockchain, AI & Web3 with over 11,000 members.

My journey of involvement in the UK charity sector began in late 2010, when I was offered the opportunity to get involved in the founding of The Childhood Trust, a newly formed charity dedicated to help alleviate child poverty in London.  I became a Founding Guardian in 2011 and in 2013 I became the Company Secretary. Following a refresh of the board in 2016, I left the charity but have been continually impressed with their spectacular growth and the success of their mission.

Since that time I have considered involvement in several different charities, but it was my introduction to Alternatives 4 Children (A4C) in 2024 - at a time they were preparing a major UK relaunch - that convinced me I had found the right platform, at the right time, where I could dedicate time and experience and make a difference. For most of the last 40 years, I have worked in and around the investment sector, and I am the parent of two adult children, and in the last 4 months became a grandparent, and I have always been aware of the fortunate life my children had growing up as they did with an excellent education, healthcare and a stable safe environment.

Having once been an academic, I spent 10 years studying and teaching about life in emerging markets and was well aware of the difference between my children’s lives, and the lives of millions of children in those emerging market countries. That’s why I’ve chosen to get actively involved in A4C.

I came on board at the beginning of 2025 as the Treasurer in the UK. A4C UK is a volunteer-led charity, run by professionals from the investment sector, that channels 100% of donations into grassroots schemes that are capable of fundamentally changing the lives of vulnerable children in emerging markets. Across education and skills training to healthcare and community support, these initiatives offer a concrete path out of poverty.

I believe in and support A4C because we select our causes with a thoughtful and caring approach, we are entirely volunteer led and our impact has positive and lifechanging outcomes. I would encourage you to take a look at what A4C has been doing with its existing programmes. And if like me you believe that your professional success creates a responsibility to give something back then I hope you’ll consider getting involved and making a donation – no matter how small – as in the world of A4C every amount matters.