Philip, who has volunteered with us for over 15 years, named the container in honour of his mother Prue. She introduced him to Workaid in 2009, as she knew some of the volunteers at the time. Sadly, Prue passed away on 15 September 2025, at the remarkable age of 97.
Philip’s working life began with an electronics apprenticeship, which laid the foundations for his career. After years as an electronic engineer, he transitioned to a role in test and measurement, where his expertise grew.
Following redundancy, he dedicated his free time to volunteering with us at Workaid. His commitment and enthusiasm led to him being offered the interim role of caretaker—a position he cherished for the insights it provided into the organisation.
Though the caretaker role was only for a short period, Philip’s connection to Workaid continued in different ways. He later became a science technician at a local school, a position he held for three years before working in the calibration sector. Redundancy struck again, but Philip’s commitment to giving back remained strong.
Today, retired from his second job in calibration, he volunteers one day a week in our electrical section, sharing his skills and knowledge.
Philip has lived in Chesham for 32 years and is involved in a variety of volunteer activities. He measures water flow on the River Chess, tends gardens for a local church, and supports Sunday services.
His family life includes his wife Amanda, sons Jonathan and David, and their family cat Layla.
In his garage, Philip spends his time constructing, for example creating a calibration chamber from a repurposed fridge!
We are pleased to share that this morning (January 16th 2026), Container Prue was successfully lifted from our workshop in Chesham and has begun its journey to Zambia.
The container is packed with 705 boxes of tools which will be distributed to 14 projects we support, including schools and vocational training institutes.
