To celebrate 16 years of volunteering with us, Barry has been given the opportunity to name our next container. Container Barry is heading to Tanzania, packed with 167 knitting and sewing machines and 3,498 tools that will help transform lives at Kalwande Training Centre.
Barry was born in Amersham and later moved to Little Chalfont before settling in Chesham. He met his wife Judy at the Chiltern youth club in Amersham when he was 19.
They married in a local church in Chesham 60 years ago and have been together ever since.
Barry and Judy have two children: Tracy, an English as a Foreign Language teacher living in Turkey, and Richard, a construction manager living in Hemel Hempstead.
Judy previously worked as an accounting technician and held positions in three post offices.
Barry’s working life began at 15 starting as a motor mechanic and later transitioning into factory maintenance. He then had a career in refrigeration and air-conditioning.
While gaining hands-on experience, he also studied at Wycombe College and completed a short course in air-conditioning. After a long and varied working life, Barry retired in 2007.
Barry chose to volunteer as a way of giving back. As a resident of Chesham, he was familiar with our charity. However, his inspiration to volunteer came from attending an open day we held in back in 2010. He initially joined the team in the packing section of the workshop where he took on the task of boxing up tools and equipment, and occasionally helping to fill the containers we send to Africa.
He later moved to the electrical section as we were short of volunteers in this department and he had electrical experience.
Now Barry continues to volunteer on Monday mornings in the electrical section. He works mostly on the larger electrical items due to his background in heavy machinery.
In addition to visiting their grandchildren in Hemel, Barry and Judy regularly visit their daughter in Turkey and enjoy their holidays there.
When not testing and repairing electrical items in our workshop or jetting off to Turkey, he is interested in classic cars, having owned a Triumph Stag himself.
Container Barry was successfully lifted from our workshop in Chesham this morning!
It is now on its way to Tanzania where our country partners at Kalwande will receive it.
To read more about our work with Kalwande Training Centre click or tap the button below:
