Christmas Craft Stall
Sat 9th Nov 10am - 2pm
In tribute to his wonderful wife of 27 years, who recently passed away, Norman has named our next container Joyce. Container Joyce is now on its way to Tanzania to support our friends at Tools for Self-Reliance Cymru (TFSR). It contains many tools and kits that will be sent to vocational training centres in Kalwande. You can find out more about TFSR Cymru here.
93-year-old Norman, born in Wembley, has been a volunteer in Workaid’s sewing machine department for 25 years. Norman’s first experience with sewing machines was helping his mum sew cases for gas masks during World War II. During this time, gas masks came in cardboard boxes with a string shoulder strap which disintegrated as soon as it rained. Norman’s mum sewed new cases out of waterproof material to be sold in her husband’s chemist’s shop in Whetstone, North London. He would turn the handle of the machine, while his mother fed the material with two hands. That machine is one of many Norman has helped refurbish to send to Africa via Workaid.
Norman found out about Workaid following a talk by Ted Sutton at the Beaconsfield speakers club, which he and Joyce were helping to get off the ground. He went to drop off some tool donations at Workaid and has never left since! He helped us move into our current premises: The Old Boot Factory in Chesham, by replacing rotted window frames in the somewhat derelict building.
Norman initially trained as an electronic engineer and worked with aircraft guidance transmitters and beacons that were installed at Heathrow, Biggin Hill and many European airports. He also spent some time working on electronic TV viewing tracking equipment, before embarking on a 20-year career at Rank Xerox, later Xerox.
He met Joyce, his second wife, at the Maidenhead speakers club, a club he founded back in 1983. Joyce was the eldest of five siblings and previously worked as the Marketing Manager at Missenden Abbey conference centre. Norman said Joyce was an amazing person who knew a lot about Workaid as she supported Norman on many of his speaking engagements for Workaid. She was a woman of many skills: a keen knitter, cook and gardener. She was also a great traveller, having visited many European destinations before meeting Norman. In later years, Norman and Joyce were lucky enough to be able to travel together. They visited Bali (with the help of Joyce’s brother who ran the Hilton hotel there), Jamaica, Switzerland and Kenya.
Sat 9th Nov 10am - 2pm
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Phone Number: 01494 775220
Email Address: admin@workaid.org
Address:
The Old Boot Factory
71 Townsend Road
Chesham
Buckinghamshire
HP5 2AA
Registered Charity: 1041574
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