OAKLEY HOLIDAYS
OAKLEY OVERSEAS
PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
One of many visitors on the Oakley Centenary Day in 2019 was Graham Davey, one of Oakley’s most prominent leaders in the 1950s and 60s. ​Graham was the first Oakley leader to work overseas when he and his wife Valerie travelled to teach for two years in Arusha, Tanzania in 1966.
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Since that time a succession of Oakley leaders have followed in Graham ‘s footsteps – most recently Michael Daly in 2022 in Malawi and Jonathan Ord in 2023 in Uganda. Many of them have been university students during their summer vacations or as part of a gap year All have found that such work , often unpaid, is a thought-provoking and formative experience for themselves.
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Travel grants, in the name of Graham Davey who died in 2023, are now available for those leaders wanting to work abroad. These grants (non-competitive) are intended help with travel costs and our leaders who are planning voluntary work are invited discuss their idea with Oakley Trustees David Derbyshire or Kathy Sealy.
OAKLEY & ST LUKES LEPROSY HOSPITAL
Oakley’s connection with the St. Luke’s Leprosy Hospital and the associated Boys’ Home began in 2007 when Lythamer Ed visited the school during a work experience placement in India which was part of his dentistry course at Liverpool University.
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​Kathy Miller, the founder of the Neem Tree Trust which supports St. Luke’s, has visited Oakley in 2013, 2018 and 2023 to talk about the work of the Hospital and to show some moving video footage. Oakley has made regular donations, largely as the result of the ever-hungry pottery pigs, Boaris and Megabucks, who have eaten up thousands of coins after tuck shop.
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​Edinburgh medical student Layla Shafiq and Graham Davey are pictured here with the national flag of Tanzania, just two hours before Layla set off for her three and half weeks in India. You can read of her experiences there by clicking the link below.
