Face-Faw
History and Aims
Friendship and Aid to Central and Eastern Europe - Friendship and Aid for the World (Face-Faw) represents Ampleforth’s concern for the needs of the world. It has three main areas of service:
- first, to provide aid to projects both in England and overseas
- secondly, to arrange Gap Year service for Amplefordians
- thirdly, to arrange for students from various overseas countries to come for a limited period to Ampleforth.
Last year Face-Faw raised about £47,000 to support projects and charities in various countries including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chile, Ethiopia and Romania. Some recent leavers spent time helping in these projects. In 2009-2010, Face-Faw continues to support a variety of projects, and on 25 March 2010, the school will undertake Keriba Cock and Bull, a 10-hour sponsored reading.
Face-Faw has grown from the work done for Eastern Europe in the 1980s and 1990s. Ampleforth’s first involvement with the Polish people dates from the wartime hostel, founded in the 1940s to provide for the education of exiled Polish boys. In the 1980s, Fr Leo Chamberlain took the initiative in supporting aid for Poland, and the first large delivery was made in 1982. In 1987, the school arranged a sponsored relay run from Ampleforth to the Polish War Memorial at Northolt, west of London. In the early 1990s Face-Faw supported refugees in the wars in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and later in Kosovo.
Face-Faw continues to try to serve and to share with the students a sense of generosity and concern.
Face-Faw can receive donations to help with its aid work on www.justgiving.com/ampleforthabbey/donate