Sheila Cochrane: Founding Trustee

I’m Sheila and have two children and four grandchildren. I have always had a passion and deep longing to help the people of Africa ever since I was a teenager and I thought maybe I’d go and work there but it never happened.

Then I started sponsoring a young boy in Uganda and went to visit the family and caught hold of the vision to start a Vocational Centre at the Mothers Union centre to help educate those less fortunate than us, the seed was sown.

Margaret Lloyd: Trustee

I have been a Christian now for over 35 years and have served my local church in the Rochdale area in many ways during that time. I have a personal passion for prayer and intercession and now meet with many other women committed to praying for our Nation in these troublesome days. I also have a call to the nations that has taken me to various countries in Europe and Africa usually supporting ministries involving teaching, preaching and working with women.

I am pleased to have joined the team for Mission Helping Hands as a friend of Sheila Cochrane and to support the on-going vision for the work in Uganda.

Also Trustees: Pat Anders and Mark Orrell

Since we started...

June 2008 – Sheila Cochrane, Pat Anders, Jan Holland, Gwen Sleith and Joanne Lord started teaching trainers in knitting, sewing & computer skills to ladies and young women from the Mothers Union.

July 2010 – Sheila Cochrane, Pat Anders, Heather Babbs and David Reinhold visited Uganda.
Sheila taught Health promotion, Pat continued with teaching and supporting the knitting class and teaching basic business skills. Heather and David went into the schools to teach Science. Sheila and Pat did 2 workshops about ‘ Healing on the Streets’.

July 2011 – Sheila Cochrane, Jennifer Cochrane and Jeanette Bendera took the trip to Kinkiizi.
Sheila continued health promotion teaching, by doing a workshop for trainers and also started a small discipleship group. Jennifer and Jeanette went into one of the Secondary School to teach basic computer skills and in one of the Primary schools to teach English and play games with the children after school.

February 2012 – Sheila Cochrane, Pat and Roy Anders and Gill Tyberg caught up with the Vocational Centre
Pat continued to invest in the knitting teachers and volunteers and taught how to maintain knitting machines. Roy supported her and repaired a lot of the sewing machines. Roy also helped with problems with electricity. Sheila and Pat with Roy’s help led a ‘Healing the wounds of trauma’ workshop over 3 days. Gill had projects of her own that she visited.

September 2012 - Sheila went with Dentaid team who do outreach clinics in Uganda. We did outreach clinics in 3 schools and saw almost every child giving dental treatment as necessary and teaching on care of their teeth.

2013 – Sheila on her own visiting Batwa pygmies who have been taken out of their home in Bwindi Forest to make room for the Gorillas. Continued work at MU Vocational Centre, teaching in health promotion, visiting our schools & sponsored children, starting discipleship groups.

2014 – Sheila & Pat continuing the work, Pat especially at the MU centre teaching more advanced knitting to the teachers. Wonderful graduation for MU students

Jan 2015 – Sheila on her own to the graduation of Andrew who she had been sponsoring then preparation for team trip in July.

July 2015 – Mark & Jennie Orrell, Joshua Cochrane, Ellie Ferguson and Sheila come back from an amazing trip, teaching in 4 schools, visiting all the projects. Mothers Union Girl’s hostel complete

May 2017 – Mark Orrell, Jessica Holland and Sheila – Catch up with all the projects especially MU centre, sponsored children and discipleship groups. Wonderful graduation for MU students.

2019 - Andrew Fairfax, Margaret Lloyd, Sheila. Andrew travel to establish and teach on Keyhole gardens. Checking all projects, MU centre, sponsored children, visiting schools.

Feb 2020 - Pat Anders and Sheila visit. Pat helps towards Accreditation MU centre, visiting sponsored children, Helen Holland and their Hope House project. Also school links with Kakambira Foundation School and Leigh St Mary’s Primary School

2021 - Sending aid including essentials such as rice to help the village survive through Covid lockdown

2024 - Pat and Stephen visit the Mother's Union Vocational Centre, to check progress and check in with our sponsored children. They donated mosquito nets to distribute.