Meet the Menston charity founder helping the lives of poor children in the Philippines

Beth, who lives in Menston, near Ilkley, founded her own charity – the Angels for Children Foundation – to provide support to disadvantaged children in her home country of the Philippines.

“I started my charity following the birth of my third child more than 10 years ago,” she explained. “She was eight weeks premature and spent over a month in an incubator at Airedale Hospital, Steeton. Everything was provided for us by the amazing NHS Trust, whereas in the Philippines healthcare is very expensive and for poorer communities, local hospitals do not have such facilities.”

Beth’s first project was to raise funds for a baby incubator at the Mandaue City Hospital in the province of Cebu, where she grew up.

However, after Typhoon Haiyan struck in 2013, the charity focused on rebuilding classrooms that were wiped out by the disaster. In 2017, a school in San Remigio, also in Cebu, requested a feeding programme for malnourished children.

“Many children are absent from school because of hunger, so by providing them with one meal, usually lunch, it encourages them to come to school,” said Beth. The food is cooked by parents and volunteers and the children’s weight is monitored by a school nutritionist.

Before the pandemic, Beth threw herself into fundraising, organising four main events a year – including a summer ball, an 80s disco and a ceilidh. More funds were raised with coffee mornings and bake sales at her church, Our Lady of all Saints Catholic church in Otley.

Then the pandemic struck but nothing was going to stop Beth from her mission. “We had to cancel all our events, including our sold-out 10-year anniversary celebrations.

“Early in the pandemic, I volunteered to make laundry bags for scrubs and face masks for our wonderful NHS workers. I also started making face masks in return for donations to my charity.”

Beth had planned to walk the Camino de Santiago for her 50th birthday last September. Known in English as the Way of St James, it is a pilgrims’ walk which leads to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northern Spain.

Everything had been arranged, with husband Ian booking holidays and childcare being arranged but all plans had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.

“So, I thought, why don’t I do it virtually this year and do it during Lent? The challenge was to walk 480 miles over 40 days, equivalent to 12 miles a day.”

The charity supported her as she had a knee injury, but nonetheless she managed to walk up to eight miles a day for 40 days with the trustees doing the rest of the miles between them.

“I found many wonderful walking routes round Menston, Burley in Wharfedale, Ilkley Moor and the Chevin in Otley. It was very challenging in some parts and I walked through snow, rain, hailstones and sunshine, too. S

"Some weeks were also hard especially during the times where I’ve been out working all day then have to walk eight miles. But it’s all worth it knowing that every penny we raised will help us feed the children. We raised more than £3,000.”

Raised as Roman Catholic – the Philippines has 76 million Catholics, 86 per cent of the population – her faith is very important to her. “It has shaped who I am today. One might say that my faith in God is manifested through kindness, generosity and work in our community. The parishioners at my local church are very supportive of my charity, both financially and in prayers for which I’m truly grateful.”

Beth has happy memories of her childhood. “My dad was a very generous man and highly respected in our community. Our door was always open for everyone, we didn’t have much but it’s always shared to whoever came in and nobody was hungry when they left our house. My dad worked very hard so that his three children could go to the best school to get the best education available.

“I always remember seeing street children begging on my way to uni and said to myself – ‘one day I hope I can help you in some way.’ The charity’s feeding programme encourages attendance to school, thus, giving them education and hope for their better future, out of poverty, hopefully.”

She met her husband Ian through a penpal scheme. They wrote to each other for more than two years and Ian flew out to visit her several times. They married in November 1988 “in the beautiful church in my island home of Cebu” then came to live in the UK. “I touched the ground of Heathrow Airport and it was freezing cold. I think it was snowing that day and it was the first time I’d seen snow.

“I was so blessed to have the love and support of Ian’s parents from the beginning of our friendship so the transition for me to this country was much easier.”

Now, more than 30 years on, her husband and their three children all help support her in her charitable endeavours.

Before the pandemic, Beth was able to visit friends and family in the Philippines once a year. Ian and her children have accompanied her, incorporating the trip with her charity’s work to see the schools and spend time with the children in their classrooms.

"The schools are very far from each other – about 70 miles apart, and with unmade roads for part of the journey, it is a very challenging and long journey. But it is always worth it to see the school community and the smiley faces of the children.”

Charity mission

Born Babeth Bordario in Mandaue City, the Philippines, Beth now works as an administrator at The Briery Retreat Centre in Ilkley.

She set up her own charity – the Angels for Children Foundation – to help poorer children and their families in the Philippines. Her latest project is an outdoor waterproof seat mat which she sells for £10.

“This idea came from a friend who was fed up with carrying a long-life plastic bag to sit on when meeting friends in the park or hiking. She asked if I could do something more comfortable and easy to put in a backpack.”

Each sale will feed three children for a week.

You can donate to Beth’s charity via www.angelsforchildren.org.uk