Lady Sue Tunnicliffe

In the early 1990’s immigration to the UK from the Indian subcontinent and Uganda was very high. I was teaching Science and Maths in a Middle school in Slough which was 96% non-white children, a small number were of Afro Caribbean origin, but the majority were from Pakistan or rural Bangladesh.  Many had recently arrived and had come to school with no or little English. My husband was Deputy marketing director of BA at the time and volunteered me and our two sons to visit Dhaka on behalf of BA and show an interest in the orphanage which one of their cabin staff, Patricia Kerr, was involved in during stopovers and in which she had persuaded other crew members to visit.So off we went February half term 1982 with Pat. We also visited again the following year, That’s where my link began and in 2010, I visited the project every year and  as a science educator I asked Pat if we could try with the Sreepur Village mothers, to help them realise how much science and engineering and maths could be useful, even if they had not been to school as school science and science in action every day are all rather different.

The Sreepur Village is a very special place for me. On my first visit Pat had a mango tree planted in memory of our eldest son who died aged 37 in 2009. There is a plaque as well, so his memorial is not only very special but it is also in a special place too.  I enjoy talking with Pat and reminiscing too! It’s always a great pleasure to meet the staff and see their work, including visiting the town office and particularly seeing the work with the street children, some of whom have a real spark indicating great potential.  And I love wearing Shalwar and saris!