Meet The Trustees

Gill has been a trustee of the Friends since the trust began. Gill was a member of Ermington congregation where Fr Ronnie Cox located after returning from a Masasi parish. She has served as the Secretary and the Treasurer and for many years produced the booklet Friends of Masasi and Newala news. She is a wealth of information on the history of Masasi and Newala and the many who have worked there particularly in missionary roles.

Mark Cornwall is a professor of History and his links to Masasi began when his father worked as a priest and his mother as a teacher in Masasi Diocese. Mark is especially interested in developing links with Newala Diocese for the Friends.

Shirley Talbot has been a trustee since the inception of the Friends. She worked as a nurse in Masasi and met her late husband, Fr Allan Talbot there while he was serving as a priest. Together they began African Palms which supplies palm crosses made in Masasi and Newala to British and American churches for distribution on Palm Sunday.

Rev Stephen Jarvis serves as the Treasurer and has visited Masasi and Newala several times. Stephen has worked within the Minchinhampton parish which has long standing links with Masasi as Fr John Cornwall returned there from Masasi and imbued his parish there with a love for Southern Tanzania. Stephen has been involved with many projects in the dioceses and has a special affinity with training for priests.

Steve has served as the Chair of the Friends since 2020. He became interested in Masasi when the secondary school where he taught began a link with Rondo Junior Seminary in Masasi Diocese. He also became an admirer of Bishop Trevor Huddleston after reading several of his books. He is especially interested in the Blind and Partially sighted unit, which is part of Masasi Primary School.

Jennifer Oakley is the Secretary of the Friends and has visited Tanzania many times; her involvement began through a school link in the primary school where she is a teacher. St Barnabas Worcester is linked to Mnara Primary School in the village very close to Rondo Junior Seminary. Jennifer is interested in Education in the diocese and technology to support development.

Linda Jarvis has visited Masasi and Newala several times and has been involved with projects that have given education on HIV Aids and supported malaria protection initiatives. Linda serves as a Lay Reader in Minchinhampton parish and continues the legacy of links to Tanzania formed with former priest Fr John Cornwall.