Six Life Change Short Stories

Published in The Daily Telegraph Amex Enriched List 2009
Emma Allen, 28, NGO director
The Sri Lanka Card projects proves it’s possible to transform the power of play into vital resources for the street kids of the developing world. Five years ago former London fashionista Allen arrived on the island in the wake of the devastating tsunami and began running art workshops for children in refugee camps. Every year since, Allen’s team have mentored orphans to create Christmas cards which are sold online all round the world – around 5,000 to date - with the proceeds being ploughed back into essential infrastructure such as electricity, wells, food, clothes and a renovated playground in the Sri Jinananda boys’ home in Colombo. “Street kids in Sri Lanka don't have anything like the upbringing we in the west do, and big part of that is play and fun. The project allows them to be children.” The Card Project’s model has been so successful that it’s being introduced in other Sri Lanka locations, while for Allen herself, the enterprise has proved personally fulfilling. “Running the project puts everything in perspective - I’m far happier now that I was working in fashion,” Allen says. “There’s more to life than cocktail bars and fashion shows.”
Buy the cards online at www.srilankacards.com

Benita Hussain, 30, aspiring writer
It may be commonplace for travellers to blog their gap year today, but not all of the globally footloose use the opportunity to make an enriching career switch. For 30-year-old Benita Hussain, a former New York lawyer, skipping through Europe and the Far East was the chance to develop her writing skills with a view to a future media career. “Growing up, there was pressure to be successful in my career, but I never knew what "success" meant other than "prestige", even if that meant sacrificing things fulfilled me personally, like art, writing and music. Getting laid off this summer was my chance to rediscover the hobbies I left.” Several months into her world tour, the strategy is working: “I’m enjoying what I'm doing, and getting noticed by editors and other writers is a great feeling. It keeps me motivated.” Benita blogs at http://thehussainitydefense.blogspot.com/

Chris Hatherill, journalist, 31
From cosmology to ornithology, science hardly has the poptastic pull of fashion, music or art, but Chris Hatherill’s supercollider (sic) project is changing that. In 2006 Hatherill launched his multimedia project promoting science through the creative industries, which includes a website, magazine, informal talks at venues like London’s Science Museum and a regular new “think and drink” event called Sciencer, as a kind of educational project for people who may be peripherally interested in science, but might struggle to get through a whole episode of The Sky At Night. “I’ve probably lost money doing this, but it’s very fulfilling,” says Hatherill, who devotes his spare time to the project. “We want to bring alive the magic you used to get in science class at school. There’s an educational thrust to supercollider, but we aim to make science learning fun and informal.” www.super-collider.com

Andrew Diprose, art, director, 37
He holds down a prestigious day job as Art Director of Wired magazine, but Andrew Diprose has plied his passion for cycling onto one of the most exciting new magazines around, The Ride Journal - a beautifully-produced biannual collecting yarns and ephemera from the two-wheeled world. Proceeds go to funding future issues with a contribution for charity. “There wasn't a publication that covered the soul of riding, so we decided to make one ourselves,” Diprose says. “We get a creative buzz from it and we’ve been surprised by its success and the generosity of the artists and writers who donate work. It's rare to have a project that isn't greed driven, and the only reason for us to grow is so we can donate more to charity.” Issue III of The Ride Journal is out now. www.theridejournal.com

Damion Lorentzen-White, market researcher turned baker, 39
He was a chef for a decade before working in market research, but with his Herefordshire-based enterprise The Pencombe Village Bakery, Damion Lorentzen-White aims to reconnect with his affection for good food as well as make an overdue lifestyle change. He bakes sourdough and proved breads in a wood-fired oven in the garden of his father-in-law’s house, selling to local delis, health food shops and direct to locals themselves. “I remember sitting in meetings and looking round thinking, ‘Is this it?’” he recalls. “This is a risky venture, but it’s great to be baking and selling a good product. It's social too – we have a direct connection to our buyers. Plus,” he adds, “the views round here are incredible.”
www.pencomebevillagebakery.co.uk Pencombe, Herefordshire, HR7 4SH.

Charlie Dark, 38, Run Dem Crew
It's as much a social event as sporting one, but Charlie Dark’s Run Dem Crew – a weekly running club based since 2007 in Nike’s 1948 exhibition space in East London – draws an cross-generational, mixed-ability crowd of runners. Inclusivity is central to the project, offering talented young people the chance to meet established creative-industries figures. “Running is the easiest sport to take up, but the hardest to begin,” says Dark, whose day job combines teaching with composing music. “It’s tough getting off the sofa, but I found running benefited me personally, and Run Dem Crew connects young people with influential creatives. Similarly, lots of people my age would like to work with young people, but don't know where to start. Run Dem Crew facilitates that.” www.rundemcrew.com