My Story

Hi Everyone.

As some of you will know, in September last year I led a group of property professionals to help build a house near Battambang, Cambodia alongside the global housing charity, Habitat for Humanity. As far I know, it’s still (rather miraculously!) standing and it’s hopefully the treasured home of a lovely family we got to know as part of the process.

It was such a rewarding experience and had a profound impact on helping me realise the true value of a simple front door in peoples’ lives.

So much so that in January, I will be leaving the luxury of London once again and heading for the sweltering Solola in Guatemala. There is a current housing deficit of 1.8 million homes across Guatemala, keeping millions of families in poverty and without access to decent housing. With the term “housing crisis” so often referred to here in the UK, it’s easy to forget how dire the circumstances really are all over the world in areas where we can make a real difference, with our time as well as fundraising.

Whilst I would never claim to be the brawn of a building site, I hope to boost my brick laying, perfect my pointing and cultivate my concrete mixing, working side-by-side with the local family and community to provide a home to someone so desperately in need.

Your financial support will be hugely appreciated; the money we raise will go towards building materials that will directly improve the quality of life for the young families we will be working with, and change their lives forever.

For a girl who grew up nick named “Madame C” by her darling brother and spent 30 years avoiding any form of manual labour, I can’t quite believe I’ve signed up for more, which hopefully gives you a sense of how important the work of Habitat for Humanity is for the communities it supports.

All donations, however small or large, will make a difference and I am hugely grateful for any support you can offer.

Best wishes,

Candice