‘Ockenden International is well known for the high quality of its work in very remote and challenging locations.' Kofi Annan, the then Secretary-General of the United Nations on the 50th anniversary of the charity
£50,000 Ockenden International Prize winner announced
In this, the inaugural year, the Ockenden International Prize was awarded to India’s Centre for Development (CfD) partnering with UK charity Childreach International for their Piplaj Advocacy Project to empower a deeply impoverished community in Ahmedabad, Gujarat to campaign for better living conditions, education and healthcare. Read more
Recent developments
In recent times, Ockenden International was an operational charity working with displaced people in some of the most difficult and insecure places, long after the TV crews had departed and world headlines disappeared.
Responding to financial challenges and having consulted widely, the Board of Trustees of Ockenden resolved to turn the organisation into a promoter of excellence in development work, rather than as a direct manager of programmes. Following an extraordinary general meeting held in October 2007, measures were put in place to hand over any legacy Ockenden programmes and programme teams to the organisations best suited to advance its work, including Cambodia where its programme is continued by Ockenden's staff operating as a local organisation. Click here for Ockenden Cambodia web site.
Ockenden would like to acknowledge the support of numerous individuals and organisations. This commitment allowed Ockenden to maintain its overseas programmes throughout its most recent phase as an operational charity and was crucial in adding value to the work undertaken. Any future contributions will be added to the fund to be used for promoting self-reliance.
Ockenden was one of the first refugee charities to be formed after the Second World War. It was based at Woking in Surrey, England. It provided shelter, training, education and hope for thousands of refugees from around the world, to begin with inside the UK but later at many international camps and villages.
In the video clip below, filmed during Ockenden International's days as an operational NGO, James Beale, former Chief Executive and current Trustee, explains the charity's remit.
This mission statement is as relevant now as it was then to Ockenden International's ideals and objectives. |
Click to enlarge. |
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