We currently have four trustees on our board, the majority have worked and lived in South Sudan and have come together with a common cause, to help fund and educate street children in the country.
Kevin Bellwood – Chair of Trustees
Kevin is a journalist and entrepreneur running one successful retail business in Shropshire in the UK. He has broad experience in project management, strategic planning and marketing, as well as a strong interest and experience in international development.
Kevin’s career has predominately been in media in the UK and the Middle East, he has worked for a number of commercial companies, plus as a consultant for the BBC in Birmingham.
Kevin worked for Foundation Hirondelle, a Swiss based NGO as Editor in Chief of Radio Miraya in South Sudan for two years (2012 – 2013), working alongside the UN mission in the country.
He then consulted for the United Nations in South Sudan (UNMISS) and became their acting Chief of Radio for a short while and then went on to train Radio Miraya’s journalists in the ten states across South Sudan.
He then moved to Kenya in 2019 to work as Head of Broadcast for a group of radio stations, leaving in 2021 to work as Director of Programmes for a company in Namibia, that runs a TV and Radio stations across the country.
Kevin has been a strong supporter of the work Cathy has done with CCC, he served on the board of trustees in Juba during his time there. Kevin also volunteered at the CCC children’s centre in Juba helping out in his spare time, even teaching some of the children Karate.
Kevin recently visited some of the children being educated in Uganda and presented a ‘Staying Safe in Social Media’ workshop with them.
Together with John Fenning and former trustee David Dixon, Kevin founded CCC UK, to support the work of CCC in Juba, plus funding the education for other South Sudanese street children.
Christine Fenning – Trustee and Deputy Chair of Trustees
Christine Fenning currently works as a Researcher and Evaluator for consultancy company
Mokoro. Her background in sociolinguistics and education led her into teaching English and
French before completing a post – graduate degree in International Relations at the Diplomatic
Academy of Vienna. Since 2011 she has worked in the Humanitarian / Development sector,
mainly in South Sudan (where she worked for WFP), focusing on reporting, conflict – sensitive
programming, programme management and donor/partner relations.
Christine has broad experience in research analysis, reporting and information management, as well as experience in monitoring and managing large – scale projects funded by the EU, the Netherlands, DFATD – Canada and DFID; her work has also involved collaborating with various other governments, NGOs and UN agencies. She retains a strong interest in education and joined CCCUK as a trustee in 2017.
Christine learned about and became a supporter of CCC in early 2014, when she heard Cathy speak at the church she attended in Juba. She visited the centre weekly to sing, read, and play
with the children, and occasionally welcomed them to her house to bake and do crafts.
Christine also helped organise fundraisers for the children both in Juba and abroad: a fun-run
with the children in 2013, fundraisers at the US Embassy and WFP, and a weekly pub quiz at
Logali House.
Christine is convinced of the benefit that education has on the development of the individual and of society and has therefore, been raising awareness for and supported CCC’s work both through her professional and personal networks.
John Fenning – Trustee & Treasurer
John has been working in a variety of capacities in South Sudan since 2010, when he was
involved in a research project for Concordis International and met Cathy and CCC.
Since this time he has been involved in setting up CCC UK and organising fundraisers for CCC (Cycling the length of the UK, running marathons, organising community fundraising events). John served as CCC’s Programme Manager from 2014 to 2016, spearheading donor liaison and care, both at institutional (with EU, UNICEF, CHF, Cordaid) and at a personal level, and developing new fundraising initiatives and encouraging supporters.
Since leaving Juba in 2016, John has been working for Asylum Welcome, an Oxford – based charity, supporting newly arrived refugees, mainly from Syria. He continues to speak about
CCC’s work at churches, schools and universities and in his personal circles and is keen to
see the children affected by conflict in South Sudan receive an education.
He last visited CCC in Juba in November 2016.
John holds Masters Degrees in Violence, Conflict & Development and in Arabic and
International Relations.
Sarah Williamson – Trustee
Sarah Williamson is a senior manager in the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service where she
is responsible for developing, implementing and managing a programme of mod
ernisation.
This role includes managing large budgets, managing a team of staff, liaising with all
stakeholders across the region. Previous professional experience includes working in various
capacities in the UK Health and Social Care system.
In 2013 Sarah lived in South Sudan and worked for the Juba County Health Department to support capacity development of key technical and managerial staff. She also
volunteered at CCC for six months running weekly sports sessions and has been a big sup
porter since.
She has returned to Juba in January 2015 and January 2016 to volunteer with CCC – doing
reading, sports etc. with the children.
Cathy requested that she volunteer with the girls in Uganda in January 2017 and she spent time supporting them with schoolwork and sports and looking after them to give Yunia the opportunity to do preparatory work for their return to school.
She has been fundraising for CCC since 2013, speaking on radio programmes, running the New York marathon, and other fundraising initiatives, and joined the CCC UK board as a trustee in 2016. Sarah is also on the board of a peace and reconciliation charity in Northern Ireland.