How and why The Parenta Trust was born

Elisha Tolhurst • March 11, 2014

The Parenta Trust has partnered with Fields of Life, an organisation on the ground in Africa. Debbie Cameron, Head of Development & Fundraising (GB) for Fields of Life, tells us about her experiences with the charity and how and why The Parenta Trust was born.

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I was first introduced to Fields of Life in the summer of 2012, when I joined a group of business leaders from Kent on a fact finding visit to a number of Fields of Life (FOL) projects throughout Uganda. FOL has been building schools and digging fresh water wells in post-conflict East Africa for the past 20 years. Our aim is simply to bring about positive change through the provision of quality education, clean water, health promotion and other community based projects to help relieve poverty. We are currently involved in projects in a number of countries including Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.

Having spent time hitch-hiking through Africa, I thought that I was prepared for the experiences that lay ahead of me, that my earlier travels would have set me in good stead to face the challenges of life in Uganda… and, naively, I boldly marched straight in on the first day to Pastor Deo’s school in the slums of Kampala armed with nothing more than a big smile, but I was bowled over by the response that we received. In our group was a mixture of different businesses: Parenta, CFA, Southern Water, Oasis, Family Business Place, Amelix, together with a heating engineer, a pharmacy assistant and myself. We all went out as strangers with one common goal and, over our short visit, formed a bond with the shared objective to make a real difference to the lives of the people we met. It was during this first morning that Parenta Trust was born.

The children couldn’t wait to show off their school. Their pride was immense and you could see that the money being raised was making a huge different to so many families. It was an incredibly humbling experience. Education next to water is the most vital gift, and the children all felt blessed to be given the opportunity to learn and eventually help raise their families out of poverty.

Our next day we were up early on a bus heading north to a village called Acede where FOL were drilling a well. We travelled for hours in our small bus, and sometime after lunch we arrived to the most amazing welcoming committee. We were greeted by the elders and chief of the village. They gave us refreshments, welcomed us into their homes and told us the story of their village… and none of us were prepared for the tale that unfolded in front of us; how the so called Lords Resistance Army had arrived one night and scarred this small community for life. Rounding up the young – the boys fate was one of transformation into the newest recruits of this bloody army and the girls as sex slaves for the soldiers. Setting fire to huts and carving their way through anyone who dared to stand in their way. One man I met was 82yrs old and he had witness horrors that are unimaginable, yet he had an inspirational spirit for life. The children were beautiful, but had so little. Before leaving the UK we had all been collecting useful treasures to take with us as gifts for our hosts and for the villagers at Acede it was children’s clothes… I had collected items from various friends and family the weeks before leaving and between us we handed out hundreds of items. The Chief of the village presented us with a letter of appreciation setting out how the well will make a difference to their lives. Every one of us on was touched by the generosity and love that we experienced on this day, by this tiny remote village.

The Fields of Life was established when Reverend Trevor Stevenson initiated an agricultural project, which involved buying and setting up a 110 acre farm, 16 km from Kampala, in an area once known as The Killing Fields. Two years later, at the request of local villagers, the Fields of Life built their first school building, close to the farm. Since then, school building has become a major part of our work. Through this work, 45,000 children receive an education and learn basic skills, encouraging them to take on income generating projects. In January of this year I was invited to head up a new FOL initiative in GB and look forward to introducing the wonders of East Africa to as many people as possible and to build upon some of the exciting projects that were created as a result of my first trip… Amelix Telecom’s Save More Than Money, Family Business Place Well Good Campaign and of course the sensational Parenta Trust Maidstone to Monaco Banger Rally.

Those sparks of inspiration have continued to blossom, as do the children that many of us sponsor. Just £17 per month provides an Education, two meals everyday and a school uniform, books and a real chance in life.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you feel inspired to get involved. We are hosting a Fact Find Trip on 29thMay to visit the first Parenta Trust funded nursery school. Or maybe you’d like to join us on the drive to build our second nursery school on this year’s Banger Rally to Monaco on 25th June. Or maybe perhaps you have some ideas of your own!

Changing Children’s Lives: Parenta Trust Opens Its 6th Pre-School In Eastern Africa

By Parenta Websites • December 12, 2024
Over 230 additional children to receive an early years education in Rwanda each year

Parenta Trust Expands its Footprint to Rwanda

By Parenta Websites • July 28, 2023
Parenta Trust, the charitable arm of the Parenta Group of Companies is thrilled to announce the construction of its sixth school in Eastern Africa, to complement the existing five schools in Uganda. This new initiative will provide quality education, care, and hope to 200 orphaned and disadvantaged children, all under the age of 6, furthering Parenta Trust’s mission to contribute to vulnerable communities across Africa. "We are delighted to announce the building of our sixth school in Eastern Africa," said Allan Presland, Founder of Parenta Trust and Chairman of Parenta Group. "Our commitment to providing education to children in disadvantaged communities has only grown stronger over the years. With this new school, we will be able to positively impact the lives of even more children, giving them the tools they need to succeed and thrive”. Parenta Trust has a proven track record of building and developing schools in Africa, with the existing schools looking after and educating up to 1200 children concurrently. By expanding into Rwanda, Parenta Trust seeks to strengthen its ties with the local community and engage with stakeholders to create lasting, positive change. The new school will be in Bikamba village in Kajevuba cell, Ntarabana sector. This is an area of stone quarries and sugarcane plantations which leads to children starting work at a young age and in turn facilitates the vicious cycle of poverty in the area. Parenta Trust firmly believes in the power of collaboration and aims to work closely with the Rwandan community and its partner on the ground in Africa, Fields of Life, to uplift the lives of these vulnerable children. The new building will be constructed alongside a holistic programme which includes providing sanitation, a sustainable feeding programme, teacher training, a well-thought-through Early Childhood development curriculum and will work together with local government and the Church of Rwanda. Allan Presland continued; “Parenta Trust continues its commitment and mission to keep building new schools in East Africa to transform communities and the lives of desperate children. We are currently raising money for our seventh and eighth schools and we invite individuals, nurseries, schools, corporations, and organisations to support this transformative project through donations, sponsorships, and partnerships. Together, we can make a significant impact on the lives of disadvantaged children, providing them with the hope and opportunity they need to shape a better future.” About Parenta Trust School Parenta Trust is the charitable arm of the Parenta Group of Companies, which includes Parenta Training – the largest provider of apprenticeships to the childcare sector in England, and Parenta Software, a leading provider of childcare management software. The Charity was formed in 2015 and seeks to transform lives for orphaned and disadvantaged children in areas of abject poverty. https://www.parentatrust.com/sponsor-a-child www.parentatrust.com For media enquiries, partnership opportunities, or donation information, please contact: Gail James: PR & Communications Marketing Manager, on +44 (0) 1622 824372 or Gail.James@parenta.com

Parenta Trust prepares to rev up its engines for its annual adventure to Monaco

By Parenta Websites • February 10, 2020
From 24 to 28 June 2020, teams in both two- and four-wheeled vehicles will travel 2,000 miles through eight countries, traverse the Alps and negotiate the winding roads of the Furka Pass. This annual five-day adventure involves camping under the stars and taking part in challenges - before reaching the final destination of glamorous Monaco. All funds raised from the rally go towards building pre-schools for children in need of a quality education in deprived areas of the world. Parenta Trust founder and trustee, Allan Presland said: “The Maidstone to Monaco rally never fails to disappoint. It’s a fantastic way to bring people together for a great cause and have loads of fun along the way. Motorbikes, as well as cars, are welcome and all two and four wheel enthusiasts unite on this five-day journey of fun, laughter and exploration. We already have a few teams signed up who had such a fantastic adventure last year that they can’t wait to do it all over again! “The support we receive every year is nothing less than astounding; but we are always looking for more people to get involved, so we are appealing for more teams to come and join us and help us with “the drive to build a school”! From this year, Parenta Trust, working hand-in-hand with Parenta Group, is aligning itself with the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development , in particular Goal No. 4, Quality Education which sits perfectly within Parenta’s values and ethos, allowing greater synergy between the training provider and the Trust. Find out more about Parenta’s alignment with Global Goals. Click here to find out more and to sign up for Maidstone to Monaco rally! About Parenta Trust Parenta Trust supports disadvantaged children across the world by providing quality pre-school education. It was founded by Allan Presland in 2013 after a life-changing trip to Kampala in Uganda. The stark reality of poverty and lack of education for pre-school children hit him hard on the day he found a young girl on a rubbish tip on top of a cemetery in an area known locally as ‘Kosovo’. She was scavenging for food and Allan found it heartbreaking that she clearly had to fend for herself to even find food let alone be given an early years education. He returned to the UK to set up a charity, leveraging his existing network of contacts in the early years sector and his ambitious quest to build one pre-school per year began.

From Maidstone to Monaco – the Parenta Trust rally teams return triumphant!

By Parenta Websites • July 30, 2019
During their five-day escapade, eleven teams in Parenta Trust Rally travelled through eight countries, traversed the Alps and negotiated the winding roads of the Furka Pass in some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded. They camped under the stars and undertook various challenges along the way, before reaching their final destination of Monaco - all in aid of “the drive to build a school”. After the teams had returned from their expedition, we spoke to Parenta Trust founder and trustee, Allan Presland, and first time rally participant and Parenta Software Developer, Luke Liddell.

PRESS RELEASE!

By Parenta Websites • December 20, 2018
Early years education charity, Parenta Trust is calling for teams to take part in a ‘road trip of a lifetime’ – the Maidstone to Monaco Rally. From 26th to 30th June 2019, ‘petrol heads’ in both two- and four-wheeled vehicles will travel 2,000 miles through eight countries, traverse the Alps and negotiate the winding roads of the Furka Pass. The annual five-day escapade encompasses camping under the stars and taking part in challenges - before reaching the final destination of glamorous Monaco. All funds raised from the rally go towards building pre-schools for children in need of a quality education in deprived areas of the world. Parenta Trust founder and trustee, Allan Presland said; “The Maidstone to Monaco rally is a fantastic way to bring people together for a great cause and have fun along the way. It’s growing in size year-on-year and our 6th rally, in 2019, will be opened up to two-wheel vehicles, not just four. So now, car and motorcycle ‘petrol heads’ can unite on this five-day journey of fun, laughter and exploration. The support we receive every year is nothing less than astounding; but we are always looking for more people to get involved. We already have quite a few teams signed up – but the more the merrier - so we are appealing for more teams to come and join us and help us with “the drive to build a school”! “Every day I feel privileged to have the opportunity to play a part in the crucial task of giving children in deprived areas of the world an early years education. Our 5th school will open in early 2019 and in addition, funds raised from the 2018 Maidstone to Monaco Rally and our two charity balls, means that we are now finalising funds for our next school. Together we can raise enough funds to continue building a new pre-school year on year. With every pre-school we build, we can give on average another 200 children the opportunity they deserve to have an early years education – come and join us for an automotive adventure!” Parenta Trust, which supports disadvantaged children across the world by providing quality pre-school education, was founded by Allan Presland in 2013 after a life-changing trip to Kampala in Uganda. The stark reality of poverty and lack of education for pre-school children hit him hard on the day he found a young girl on a rubbish tip on top of a cemetery in an area known locally as ‘Kosovo’. She was scavenging for food and Allan found it heartbreaking that she clearly had to fend for herself to even find food let alone be given an early years education. He returned to the UK to set up a charity, leveraging his existing network of contacts in the early years sector and his ambitious quest to build one pre-school per year began. Further information on the Maidstone to Monaco rally can be found here .

Donate to our charity as you shop!

By Parenta Trust • November 22, 2018
With Christmas just around the corner and Black Friday weekend upon us (23rd to 26th November), why not sign up to Amazon Smile and make even more of a difference to Parenta Trust? Amazon Smile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on Amazon Smile and select Parenta Trust as your chosen charity, the Amazon Smile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of what you’ve bought to Parenta Trust. More information can be found here – please help us by registering. Happy shopping!

Update on fundraising for schools!

By Parenta Trust • November 22, 2018
Parenta Trust is now in its 5th year and we are happy to announce that our 5th school will be complete by early 2019! The Komoret Nursery School in Nakapiripit, Karamoja is part of a brand new school community project and phase 2 of the build includes the nursery school funded by Parenta Trust. With every pre-school we build, together, we can give on average another 200 children the opportunity they deserve to have an early years education.

From Maidstone to Monaco - Register now for a road trip of a lifetime!

By Parenta Trust • November 22, 2018
Registration is now open and teams have already signed up for the road trip of a lifetime – the 2019 Parenta Trust Maidstone to Monaco Rally. Don't miss this great adventure, register today! From 26th – 30th June 2019, we will travel 2,000 miles across 8 countries in our ‘rally’ cars and motorbikes and finish in Monaco with a celebratory night out! All proceeds from this fundraiser will go towards building our next pre-school.

Charity Balls!

By Parenta Trust • November 22, 2018
The first was held in Maidstone at the Great Danes Mercure Hotel in September where a sparkling fun-filled evening was had by all. The second was held at the Hilton Bath City Hotel in October where guests enjoyed a wonderful dinner, took part in party games and danced the night away, all in aid of such an amazing cause. Some fabulous prizes were donated to the silent auctions, including a signed rugby shirt from Bath Rugby Club. An incredible £7,000 was raised, with all proceeds going directly to help provide an early years education to the children who need it most. A very special thank you to both Suzi Presland and Amanda Presland for their tireless work organising these two events – no mean feat!

Parenta Trust Rally teams return from road trip of a lifetime

By Natalie MacDonald • July 6, 2018
Participants in an annual car rally, organised by Parenta Trust, have made a triumphant return to Kent after a journey of over 2000 miles in just 5 days. The drivers assembled at Parenta headquarters in Maidstone on Wednesday 27th June to begin their epic adventure, which lasted until Sunday 1st July. The rally – now in its 5th year – raises vital funds to build pre-schools for children in deprived areas of the world. Teams are tasked with finding a car costing no more than £350 to complete a ‘road trip of a lifetime’ through Europe. Travelling through 8 countries, teams must negotiate the winding roads of the infamous Furka Pass, camping and undertaking various challenges along the way. Their final destination before returning home is Monaco, where there is a traditional celebratory night out to mark the end of the rally. Parenta Trust founder and trustee, Allan Presland said: “What a fantastic and emotional journey! We are enormously grateful to all the people who joined us on our 5th rally and, of course, to those who sponsored those taking part in what was 5 days of adventure and excitement with plenty of fun and laughter along the way! “We had our fair share of car breakdowns…mostly my car, as usual! We had an amazing response from the European authorities throughout our journey – in particular the Border Guards and Police in Belgium – they even asked if they could get inside my car for a photo opportunity! We were given a special escort at one point; and as we approached the Mont Blanc tunnel the guards looked officious but when they saw the furry banger cars and realised we were participating in a charity rally, they laughed and joked with us and were very supportive. “Every day I feel privileged to have the opportunity to play a part in the crucial task of giving children in East Africa the chance to have an early years education. We have raised a significant amount of money from this rally and we’re on target for the £14k we were hoping for. Fundraising work will commence for our 7th school early next year; and the funds raised from this year’s rally help to build our 6th school. Our 5th school - in honour of former Parenta head of marketing and trustee of the charity, Dan Carlton, who sadly passed away in December 2016 – will be ready by Easter 2019 and we very much hope that Dan’s parents who participated in the rally for the first time this year, will be able to officially open it. “We have two more fundraising events to look forward to this year, both slightly more glamorous than a car rally! Two black tie charity balls - one in Maidstone and one in Bath – a great way to end a successful year of fundraising with wonderful food, drink, dancing and of course, the obligatory charity raffle!” The charity was founded by Allan Presland in 2013 following a life-changing trip to Kampala in Uganda. Whilst there, Allan witnessed a young girl scavenging for food on a rubbish tip on top of a cemetery. It was in this moment that the stark reality of poverty and the lack of education for pre-school children in Africa struck him. Upon his return to the UK, Allan set up the Parenta Trust with the aim of providing high-quality early years education to children in disadvantaged countries. With the help of his contacts, he started an ambitious quest to build one pre-school per year. With four schools completed in just four years, April 2019 will see the opening of the charity’s fifth pre-school in Uganda. Find out more about sponsoring a child in a Parenta Trust school here .
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