A Reffley woman who has dedicated much of the last two decades of her life to helping children in India is set to be recognised for her efforts.
Susan Chaddock, 70, is among 28 “exceptional” individuals to be honoured with the esteemed British Citizen Award (BCA) – The People’s Honours – at the Palace of Westminster this summer.
For the last 22 years, Susan has been volunteering and passionately fundraising to support the staff and over 120 children at the Bethesda Children’s Foundation in Southern India.
Now, she will be recognised at the awards ceremony with a coveted BCA Medal of Honour for International Achievement (BCAo) on Thursday, July 23.
Susan told the Lynn News that she is feeling “a bit overwhelmed” by the award, as it is such a grand achievement.
She first found out about the Bethesda Children’s Foundation through its core organisers at the time.
Susan said that organiser Sam was orphaned himself, and “he just wanted to make a change” for the children and adults of Southern India.
This gave her the ambition to start her volunteering journey.
Since 2004, she has raised £100,000 through organising a plethora of fundraising activities dedicated to the foundation.
Despite a cancer diagnosis in 2021 and undergoing three operations, Susan did not lose her focus on supporting the children in India.
She continued to use her skill in crafting, knitting and sewing items for sale at craft fairs, making her contribution “even more significant”.
Susan said that there has been “evidence of improvement” since she started volunteering for the trust.
She added: “It’s like dropping a pebble into a pond, and it ripples, touching the children’s lives with improvements.”
In the UK, Susan has collaborated with many organisations and individuals to highlight the needs of the Bethesda children and staff, all of whom were homeless.
Susan reflected on a memorable story of a woman who has prospered since receiving support.
She studied pharmaceuticals there and progressed to “opening her own pharmacy”.
She went on to be highly successful, later becoming “the first female provincial governor”.
Susan added: “We help them to achieve whatever they would like to do.”
She is already planning her next fundraiser and the next trip to India, having made seven already.
“I couldn’t do it without the support of my family,” Susan said.
She acknowledges her husband, four children, and the Baptist Church in South Lynn for providing “endless support”.
Reporting by Sienna Millar
