A tribute to Lucy

Photo of a young white woman in a headscarf with a lip piercing
Our founder Lucy Dickenson

The SAFE Foundation was set up in 2006 and became operational early in 2007 and was the brainchild of Founding Director, Lucy Dickenson.

Lucy was passionate about grass roots development and determined to ensure that assistance and aid is directed towards specific groups who are living on the fringes of their society. This determination was forged, not just from an altruistic and giving nature, but also from direct experience. After a gap year trip to Uganda when she was 18, Lucy saw first hand how some overseas aid does not always filter down to people who are stigmatised or disengaged from civil society.

Not content to sit back and accept this, Lucy motivated herself to challenge the system and took the next few years to study her craft, hone her skills and make a real difference to people that need it the most.

With the help of those close around her and some incredible friends and supporters, The SAFE Foundation worked tirelessly under Lucy’s guidance and inspiration to build something meaningful and engender positive change locally, nationally and globally.

Lucy was working with women farmers in Zambia when she was killed in a road accident in August 2012, aged 32. Not only was she an amazing colleague, volunteer, humanitarian and friend, she was also my identical twin and best friend. Losing Lucy has been a devastating blow to my family and to our SAFE family, but we are all absolutely committed to the future of The SAFE Foundation, not for us, or even for Lucy, but for the people that Lucy cared so much about and was so intent on helping.

Hannah Fitt

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Fundraising and our fundraisers are an essential part of the SAFE family - and we love to work closely with all of the amazing people raising vital funds for us.