Hope for Children Honours St Albans Photographer for Support of Government-backed Head Held High Appeal

Hemel Hempstead-based international children’s charity, Hope for Children, has honoured photographer Adam Dickens for his involvement in the charity’s Head Held High Appeal, which is being supported by the UK Government.

Dickens, who lives in St Albans, was recently awarded The Empowering Hope Award 2017 by Hope for Children, which is given to an individual or organisation that has given pro-bono support to the charity and empowered them to raise awareness of their cause, at a ceremony in London.

Dickens, founder of Taking Pictures, Changing Lives, partnered with Hope for Children at the start of 2017 and crowdfunded over £16,000 to visit and photo-document the charity’s education projects in Ghana and Uganda this year, as well as projects of other charities across the globe.

Dickens’ photos portray 9 children who are telling their stories of how access to quality education is positively changing their lives throughout the duration of the Head Held High appeal.

Hope for Children's Head Held High appeal is raising funds to improve access to a quality education for vulnerable children in Africa. Every pound personally donated by the public before 23 December 2017 will be matched by the UK Government with UK aid. Funds raised by the Head Held High appeal will transform the lives of at least 1,500 children living in poverty in Ghana & East Africa by ensuring they have access to a quality education.

Adam Dickens, Founder, Taking Pictures, Changing Lives: “It was an honour to receive The Empowering Hope Award from Hope for Children. What’s an even greater honour is knowing that I have played a part in helping them to make the Head Held High appeal a success and raise awareness of this fantastic cause. This is only possible thanks to the generosity of everyone who supported my crowdfunder at the start of the year.”

Murielle Maupoint, CEO, Hope for Children: “We are so grateful to Adam for his enthusiasm and dedication in creating a photo library that demonstrates the powerful impact a quality education can have on children living in extreme poverty. His photos are essential in enabling these children to tell their own stories and help our supporters understand the impact they can have by supporting our Head Held High Appeal.”

The Head Held High Appeal will raise funds to transform the lives of at least 1,500 children living in poverty in Ghana & East Africa by ensuring they have access to a quality education. Without an education, children as young as 6 years are often forced to work in fields, pick scraps or are exposed to the daily dangers of wandering the streets or slums they live in.

The extra income from UK aid match funding will help Hope for Children provide a range of activities in northern Ghana including providing school books and uniforms, running teacher training programmes to improve the quality of education available, and community workshops that teach girls about their right to education.

As a result of these simple solutions, thousands of disadvantaged children will have the opportunity to break free from poverty and live their life with their head held high. Funds raised by the Appeal will also be used to support the charity’s education projects in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

To support Hope for Children’s Head Held High Appeal and double the impact of your donation, donate online at https://www.hope-for-children.org/head-held-high-appeal

Or send cheques made payable to Hope for Children to Hope for Children, 6 Progression Centre, Mark Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 7DW.

To find out more about Adam Dickens and Taking Pictures, Changing Lives go to https://www.tpcl.org.uk/

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