Robert, in African shirt, with his wife Helena and son Fraser
Whaley Bridge businessman Robert Brown and his wife Helena are spending the Easter holiday in Uganda, working with a charity that helps children in this poor African country. They planned to grab a few hours to celebrate their 27th wedding anniversary, which falls on Good Friday.
The couple were accompanied on the mission trip by their 20-year-old student daughter Hannah. The Brown’s son, Fraser, 25, went to Uganda – with his guitar -a few months ago, but stayed at home over Easter doing his job as a clinical support worker at Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Helena and Hannah each took their guitars to accompany hymns and lead fun sessions on Easter Day. Robert, who runs the foot clinic in Whaley Bridge, was spending time at the medical centre.
Revive a Life, the Greater Manchester based Christian charity, started in 2006, working with vulnerable children and communities in Uganda’s Kawempe area. As its name suggests, it aims to transform and revive the lives of children – many of them orphans, with healthcare, schooling and a secure life. The charity, with strong support from the New Mills Revive church, inspired the Brown family and others in the High Peak.
Robert and his family, with a Baptist background, live in Chapel en le Frith. Along with Christians from several denominations, they are eager members of The Filling Station at Furness Vale. This multi-denominational group has 31 centres, most in the UK, but three in France and recently a new one in South Africa.
The local group, the first in Derbyshire, was set up 18 months ago at Furness Vale, meeting in the community centre on the third Tuesday of each month. Robert describes it as ‘a new contemporary Christian outreach, supporting local churches’.
The next Furness Vale meeting is at 7.30pm on Tuesday 21 May. The speaker will be Rob Stoba from Church on the Bus.
Contacts:
Robert Brown at the Foot Clinic, 1 Bridge Street, Whaley Bridge. 01663 719 799
Filling Station, High Peak contact: Gordon and Val Taylor, 01663 741 071 or gordon.taylor@talktalk.net
Filling Station director, Richard Fothergill. 01225 832 806.
Filling Station website: www.tfs-uk.org
Revive a Life facebook page: here