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Inside Christmas song - 2 y Faith in politics - 3 GOOD NEWS Syrian mission - 6 FOR NORWICH & NORFOLK Community fridges - 8 Winter 2020/21: FREE Master beekeeper - 10 Robert helps million orphans find a home Norwich-based international charity Robert Glover with Care for Children two Chinese orphans helped by his charity. has placed an incredible one million Dan Walker (c) BBC. orphan children into families in China and beyond. Eldred Dan tells stories of Willey reports. remarkable people new book from BBC1 Breakfast show host Dan Hodder and Stoughton Walker has just written a new book A – As Many as the Stars - tells the story of charity about some of the remarkable peo- founder Robert Glover, and of ple he has met during his career as how he moved with his wife a journalist and TV presenter. and six young children from the UK to China to follow his n In Remarkable People, Dan, who also hosts calling. Football Focus and has presented everything Robert Glover was a sub- from Match of the Day to Olympics coverage, mariner and then a footballer recounts inspiring stories of the courage and before he settled into a career selflessness of people he has met throughout his as a social worker caring for career. difficult teenagers in Norfolk. He is determined to shine a light onto stories Since childhood he of selflessness and compassion that seldom nurtured a dream to visit make the headlines and he recounts tales of China and his dream devel- incredible humanity, empathy, and a steely oped into a vision: to help the determination to transform lives, restore trust, many children who have been renew hope. abandoned into orphanages And Dan is quite a remarkable person himself, across China as an climbing to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro for unintended consequence of OBE by Her Majesty Queen been greatly impacted by charity and known for putting his family and faith the One Child Policy. Elizabeth II for services to having a loving, local family to first despite his highly successful career to date. He first visited China in 1996, orphans and vulnerable call their own. He is the father of three young girls and and in 1998 moved to Shanghai children in China. “At a time when there’s so despite being a sports commentator does not with his family and founded Told with humour and sim- much negativity and cynicism, work on Sundays, giving himself time to focus on the charity Care for Children, plicity, As Many as the Stars here’s proof that positive, his family and his Christian faith which pioneered family place- gives a deeper understanding compassionate action can Talking to Sorted Magazine, Dan explains that ment as an alternative to of the importance of families transform the lives of an entire his faith is very important to him: "I don't take institutional care. When the and how to live with greater generation.” much seriously in life except for my faith and my charity was launched, there compassion, generosity and Jackie Pullinger (Author of family,” he said. “I believe that if you have a wasn’t a word in Mandarin for courage. Chasing the Dragon), who strong faith in Jesus Christ, it has to make a foster care. In conversations Robert now works as an works with drug addicts and difference to how you live your life. with the Chinese government adviser at conferences, events prostitutes in the Walled City "It informs who I am and who I would like to Robert demonstrated that and consortia around the in Hong Kong, said: “At last be, where I'm going, the way I talk, the way I act, family-based fostering and world. A feature documentary the world has a story it’s been hopes, dreams, aspirations etc. It is a significant adoption was a better alterna- An independent evaluation of entitled Children of Shanghai hoping for. This is a true part of every day I live," he said. tive to the system of the pilot project in Shanghai by has been made about his work, story… I watched it happen "I would like to think that it reduces pride and state-sponsored orphanages. the University of East Anglia narrated by Bear Grylls. with wonder.” self-obsession and makes you think more care- His charity has now reached concluded that it was one of the In his endorsement of the fully about the people around you, and the im- its goal of getting one million best foster care projects in the book, adventurer and TV pre- n As Many as the Stars was pact you're having on the community and society children fostered or adopted, world, and in 2003 this led to an senter Bear writes: “A released by Hodder and around you. For me, it underpins everything I am which is 85% of the children in invitation from the Ministry of determined man can overcome Stoughton in October, priced and want to be." the state-run institutions in Civil Affairs in Beijing to all obstacles. Robert Glover £16.99 hardback. n Remarkable People is published by Headline China. It has since expanded expand the project nationally. OBE is a friend and a true hero Publishing Group and is widely available. into Thailand and Vietnam. In 2005 Robert was awarded an of mine. Lives in Asia have n careforchildren.com Priest’s praise after five-week hospital Covid-19 battle – page 12 2 Good News for Norwich & Norfolk, Winter 2020/21 www.networknorfolk.co.uk NEWS Memorable moments from a long career in broadcasting n High up in Norwich Cathedral is a wide Former BBC Mike called me into his office. “We need a reli- Pantomime cast service (oh yes we did!) from a gallery called the triforium, a vantage point gious programme. You’re religious and you’ve packed St Peter Mancroft. It was the last thing I where I’ve spent several Sunday afternoons Radio Norfolk done some hospital radio. You can do it,” he did before I retired. Not a bad finale. producing outside broadcast recordings of broadcaster said and so, in that first week on air, I was Since hanging up my headphones I’ve had special services for BBC Radio Norfolk. We creating and presenting Gospel Scene, a the privilege of producing and presenting a covered the moving and memorable, from the Tony Mallion Christian magazine and music show, landing a series of Festivals of Remembrance in Great Queen Mother’s death to the centenary cele- recalls some recorded interview with Cliff Richard to launch Yarmouth, with the last one to mark the cente- bration of Norwich City FC when the congrega- memorable it. He was at Ipswich on a Tear Fund concert nary of WW1, at the Hippodrome Circus where, tion sang ‘On the Ball City’ accompanied by the tour. I was nervous; he wasn’t. My faltering like the Royal Albert Hall, poppies rained down organ. moments questions were met with eloquent answers. from the roof for the two minutes’ silence; and Working in local radio – as I did for 25 years from Christ- It wasn’t long before I suggested recording a staging an annual carol service for my own of my career – was certainly wide ranging. One mas carol and carol service. We didn’t have enough equip- church (Cliff Park Community, Gorleston) at the minute out and about reporting, the next behind ment so I drafted in help from Hospital Radio local Pavilion Theatre – though sadly not this the microphone in the studio hosting a variety other services Yare in Yarmouth (where like so many others I year. Instead we’ve worked on a studio based of live programmes while also producing com- over the years while also looking had my first experience of radio) and asked St carol service going out on our local Harbour edy quizzes and shows at venues from village Andrew’s Church in my home town, Gorleston, Radio as well as social media. halls to the Theatre Royal. But as a Christian, ahead to life after lockdown. to hold a special service. As a youngster I first There’s also been opportunities to host having the chance to share church services live attended Sunday School at that church but concerts like the annual Methodist Songs of or recorded, particularly at Christmas, was aids of the residents next door. They were it was in my teens, through the work of Praise at Thursford as well as working with the special, if occasionally challenging too. delighted. Crusaders, that I became a Christian and soon Norfolk Fellowship Band of the Salvation Army At Sheringham parish church all went My broadcasting began in 1984 moving from after felt journalism and later broadcasting were which was the last thing I did a couple of days smoothly but later we discovered we’d inadver- 15 years in newspapers to be one of the a calling for me. before lockdown in March. And we’d like to tently done a live broadcast to the adjoining founders of Radio Broadland. Initially going to That St Andrew’s service was followed by think this might be the first thing we do when care home because the church’s loop system the newsroom clearly God – and programme scores of others, most memorably broadcasting we emerge from all of this. Now there’s some- was picked up loud and clear by the hearing organiser Mike Stewart – had other ideas as live for several years the annual Theatre Royal thing to look forward to in the spring! GOOD NEWS FOR NORWICH & NORFOLK Matt’s Christmas song n Good News for Norwich & Norfolk is published by Network Norwich & Norfolk, part of Christian Community Trust for Norwich and Norfolk Ltd.

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