Our Trustees and Committee

GAN has an active committee which meets regularly to assist the Nepal office in planning our activities. Its members come with experience from a wide range of areas including the charity sector, the business world, and academe.

Chris Sowton

Chairman of Trustees

Anna Patterson, Secretary

Secretary
After finishing my degree I went out to Nepal as a GAN volunteer in November 2000. I was attracted to the practical, long-term approach, which is key to GAN's work in Nepal.

After six months working near Pokhara I found that leaving the country was not enough to escape the clutches of GAN and I kept being drawn back in by Nepali curry evenings and sponsored walks. When I moved to London I realised that resistance was futile and joined Centurions London volunteer group).

Since then I have eaten more curry, helped plan events, dealt with GAN’s correspondence and I’m now helping organize the 10 year anniversary plans.

Barry Sowton

Treasurer
I got involved with GAN at the very beginning, despite not knowing much about Nepal or the developing world, and have not regretted the decision. I am happy doing my bit to help out some of the poorest people in the world, and feel that in our own way we are making a real difference.

Amelia Shaw

Education Officer
From August 2002 – August 2004 Amelia worked with Global Action Nepal as a Primary Education Adviser, seconded by VSO. Over those 2years she had the honour of working with the GAN Nepal team.

Predominately supporting and advising the Programme Co-ordinators Sukha, Bhupendra and BB Amelia focused on the teacher development projects . She was highly impressed by the professionalism and dedication of these people. On arriving back to UK in November 2004, she was to be asked to join the GAN UK committee.

Amelia hopes that with her past experience in Primary education combined with her knowledge of GAN Nepal, she might be of some help in supporting GAN’s work from the UK.

Alison Sorlie

Education Officer
Alison Sorlie shares the co-ordination of GAN’s educational work with Amelia Shaw. Alison joined GAN’s management committee in 2004. She has 17 years experience of working in the education sector, most of that time spent supporting international curriculum links in schools and local authorities.

She developed the British Council’s International School Award in the UK and in India. More recently Alison has been working in initial and continuing teacher training, with her current focus being the Every Child Matters policy agenda and early years provision. Alison has a BSC in French and International Relations, a Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and a Professional Diploma in Management.

Alison’s interest in Nepal started four years ago when she went trekking in the Annapurna region. She made many friends there and has been back twice. She is currently teaching herself Nepali and is finding it quite a challenge!

Jan Case

Child Sponsorship Officer
Jan is married with 2 grown sons. She spent a large part of her life travelling, but has been settled in England for the last few years. She is an experienced Administrator and currently works as an Administration Manager for a Medical Practice.

She became involved with GAN because she always believed one person can make a difference – and GAN’s development from Chris and Thomas’s determination proves that. She also believes education is the most powerful tool you can place in anyone’s hands.

Emma Gimson

Projects Officer
Emma has a long standing interest in foreign places and languages; she worked in Honduras, Central America as part of her first degree in French and Hispanic studies and subsequently completed MSc Development Studies at LSE.

Emma is now a Programme Funding Officer for a large international NGO where she supports colleagues in South America and South Asia to develop projects and secure funding from large donors like the EC and Comic Relief.

Though Emma has never been to Nepal, she hopes to get there soon to gain first hand experience of GAN's work and to get to know the country that has captivated so many of her friends and colleagues.

Kay Kadel

Ordinary Member
I first visited Nepal as a tourist in 1996 and have returned over a dozen times as a trekker, volunteer, consultant, and as a member of my Nepali husband's family. Our baby son is looking forward to visiting Nepal for the first time at the end of this year.

My work experience in Nepal consists of health and community projects with both Government organisations and non-government organisations, including eye care, education, housing, and employment generation projects, across all zones in Nepal. Similarly my research projects have consisted of extensive fieldwork in the remotest parts of Nepal for several weeks at a time, which includes a study from my thesis (MSc Development Studies, SOAS) on the sustainability of NGOs/INGOs working in eye care and rehabilitation in Nepal.

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