What a day we had! On the 22nd of June 2025, Thembisa’s trustees, supporters and friends gathered in our co-founder Tonia Cope Bowley’s beautiful garden in the village of Tiddington, Oxfordshire for our annual fundraising braai (or BBQ to those unfamiliar with South African slang).
The atmosphere was warm and lively. Children and dogs kept everyone entertained (and occasionally on their toes), while conversations flowed and connections—both old and new—were nurtured. After a particularly hot few days, we didn’t even mind the few drops of rain!
Frank and Bev took charge of the braai, serving up delicious boerewors and hamburgers that quickly disappeared from plates. Alongside the food, we held a silent auction with some lovely prizes, and opened our small pop-up shop, also available online, filled with cards and gifts from home.
We also took a moment to reflect. Tonia and Frank shared a few words about how far the Trust has come over the last 37 years, and Ben, one of our new Trustees, spoke about why his family chose to get involved—to do something tangible, and to show their children that they can make a difference if they choose to.
All funds raised will go towards the salary of MNCP’s social worker, Msizi, who plays a vital role in supporting and strengthening families in the Jika Joe, Ezinketheni, and Northdale communities who are dealing with very difficult situations.
If you couldn’t make it to the braai but would still like to support the work of the Thembisa Trust, there are plenty of ways to get involved—big and small.
Supporting the Thembisa Trust isn’t just about giving—it’s about being part of a community that believes in dignity, opportunity, and hope. And there’s always room for one more.
Every year, we like to get together in a beautiful English garden to relax, enjoy a proper South-African braai, have a bit of fun, and raise some funds for the charities we support in Southern Africa.
We warmly invite our supporters and friends to consider joining us!
Where: Ferndale, Albury View, Tiddington, OX9 2LQ
When: 22 June 2025, from 4 – 7pm (with food served at around 5pm)
RSVP: If you can join us, please let us know by Monday 16 June so that we can cater for you. Email us at contact@thethembisatrust.org or call us on 07941238605
Can’t make it but want to support?
We’d love to see you in person, but if you can’t make it please consider donating via the Charities Aid Foundation secure payment portal. All proceeds will go Mama Ntombi’s Community Projects, which you can learn more about here.
As you can see, we have been busy in the background here at Thembisa, refreshing our website and welcoming some new Trustees to the team.
Before we introduce the new-comers, we want to thank Peter Braithwaite for the wonderful support he has given to The Thembisa Trust over the 20 years as our Treasurer and Administrator. Peter and Thembisa found each other in the 1990s through the volunteering organization, REACH. Peter wanted to volunteer with a charity as he moved away from full time work in the IT industry. He initially provided admin support and then became our Secretary/ Treasurer, helping us to raise and manage funds for the many worthy projects we support. With his business acumen and proactive thinking, Peter continues to provide wise input into our processes, ensuring that they are efficient and of maximum benefit to our projects.
Taking over these duties from Peter is our new Treasurer, Caroline Mathew. Caroline grew up in South Africa and studied Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Cape Town. She worked in IT and teaching for a few years before establishing her own software business, which has developed an Occupational Health software package. Caroline now spends a couple of months every year in the UK but still lives in South Africa running her business. She is also involved in a charity (Fill-a-bag Feed-a-Family) in Pretoria which provides food parcels to the poorest of the poor. We are so pleased to have someone as experienced and capable as Caroline to take over the important job of managing our finances with honesty and integrity.
We are also thrilled to introduce you to two new Trustees: Ben and Taryn Wheatley. Ben, Taryn and their family moved to the UK from South Africa in 2020 and still have strong ties to home. Ben is our website manager and assists Caroline with treasury administration. Taryn manages our social media channels.
To learn more about us and our Trustees explore our About Us page here
