The Mary Wood Trust

Ann Gover

 

Ann was married to Mike, a mathematician, for 49 years until he sadly died in 2010.
When first married they lived in Ghana for nearly three years, Mike being seconded to the University and Ann, a teacher, set up the new University Nursery School. After returning to the UK and Yorkshire for 7 years, and now with two daughters, Catherine and Jane, they went to Malawi for two years where Ann was deputy Head of a school there.
In 1984 they moved to Lothersdale, North Yorkshire, where they met Derek and Mary Wood, and later Mary asked for Kath and Ann's involvement in what was Nyakabungo Girls Scholarship Fund. Having lived and worked in Africa Ann was very aware of the immense value given to education and also the plight of women there.
In 2013, Ann moved to a village in Oxfordshire to be near her daughters, and now is involved in a very lively village church and they have decided to give the money from their small change fund to NGSS.

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Clare Ramsden

 

Clare has been married for over 50 years. She has three daughters and 6 grandchildren.

After living overseas for 34 years with her civil engineer husband, Oliver, they now live in the UK and are enjoying the next stage of their lives as a retired couple.
She has lived in the Middle East, the Far East and also Nigeria and travelled to many other countries on holiday.

She is a Christian who firmly believes that it is important to encourage and help those less fortunate than herself. She is able to put this into practice with her involvement within the Mary Wood Trust in Uganda, helping young people, and girls in particular, to get a good education.
Her annual visits to Kanungu are an opportunity to show commitment, express love and follow in her mother, Mary Wood’s, footsteps.

Clare is the Chairperson of the Trust.

 

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Kath Smith

 

 

Kath is a retired Headteacher. She is married with a grown up family and six grandchildren. She lost her husband Cliff in 2014. She runs a small business caring for animals. 

She has been a trustee since 2002 when the charity was first formed, by Mary Wood. (It was then known as Nyakabungo Girls Secondary School Scholarship and Development Fund.)

She was head of schools in Manchester and Bradford Diocese. They were in areas of social disadvantage in multicultural environments. The opportunity to visit schools in Uganda reaffirmed her conviction that if girls are given an equal chance the whole of the country benefits. She believes that the MWT really makes a difference.

Kathleen enjoys travelling, walking, cooking and spending time with her family and friends dotted around the planet.

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Peter Wood

 

Peter is Mary and Derek Wood’s  youngest son. He has been married to Gill for 40 years, and they live in Chelmsford, Essex, They have four grown-up daughters and five granddaughters and two grandsons. Peter qualified as a doctor at the Middlesex Hospital, London, in 1983, and then trained to be a GP in Steeton, West Yorkshire. From March 1989, Peter spent seven years working as a doctor, in SW Uganda, and for the last 3 years of which he was Medical Superintendent.

He worked at a Church of Uganda Hospital, Kisiizi Hospital and was supported by Ruanda Mission/ Mid-Africa Ministry (CMS).  Following his return to UK in 1996, Peter returned to UK to work as a GP in a Christian General Practice in Chelmsford.

However, due to ill-health, he retired on health grounds in 2010. Peter now spends part of his time working as a Handyman, and is an active member of Widford Parish in Chelmsford. His other interests include gardening, photography, bird-watching, and DIY projects around the home, as well as spending time with family and friends, and caring for grandchildren.

Peter also acts as the Trust's Treasurer and website editor.

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Pippa Hutchins

 

Pippa is Mary and Derek's second daughter. She lives in Kenilworth.

Pippa had a long career in teaching and believes in the importance of education for everyone regardless of their gender or abilities. She currently works as a counsellor/ psychotherapist and continues to learn more about people, relationships and culture.

Pippa feels very fortunate to have been married to Dave for 44 years and is very proud of their three wonderful children and five grandchildren. 

Pippa enjoys various kinds of dancing, she sings in an acapella community choir, and loves being creative. She enjoys visiting and exploring new places near and far.

As one of Mary and Derek’s daughters, she is very happy to continue the work started by her mother supporting the welfare and education of young people.

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Rachel Wood

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Rachel is Mary and Derek's grand daughter and Peter and Gill Wood's daughter. Rachel spent her childhood from 4 -11 years old living at Kisiizi in South West Uganda where he ber parents were working as missionaries at the hospital.  Rachel is married to Tom and they have two daughters. Rachel works as an Occupational Therapist working with Older People with Dementia and mental health conditions. Rachel is a Christian and  continues to have a heart for Uganda.  Rachel attended the local Kisiizi Hospital Primary School until the age of 10 and understands the importance and value of education in Uganda. Rachel has witnessed, first hand, the barriers to education that some young people who live in Uganda can face. She admired the passion that her  grandmother, Mary Wood had to encourage and support the education of young people in Uganda and is keen to support the work of the Mary Wood Trust.

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