“I grew up with stories of ABCD narrated by my beautiful Mum, Georgina Mortimer. Mum loved ABCD. She loved the cause, the work, the children and of course the people whom she shared her passions with. It is with great honour and delight that I accepted the invitation to be a Patron of ABCD. It allows me to engage in Mum’s passion, in her absence, and it provides me with an opportunity to share my passion for the role of the Arts in education and the known benefits they can have on children’s wholistic development. Having worked as an educator for many years and having the privilege of working with children with disabilities, I’m a strong believer in arts-based and play-based pedagogies and their capacity to empower children as well as affording them with opportunities to communicate and share their stories in safe and inclusive spaces. We all have stories to tell and I look forward to supporting ABCD by listening to theirs.”

Bishop Michael has a background in education and pastoral ministry. Since retiring as Bishop of Exeter 2013 he has lived in West Sussex, acting as an Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Chichester. He has a long connection with the Middle East, taking a particular interest in the people and communities of Israel/Palestine and speaking regularly about their needs, particularly when a member of the House of Lords. He has visited the region often in connection with the wide range of Middle East focused charities with which he has been associated and also regularly led pilgrimages and study tours to the area.

Ambassador Husam Zomlot is the Head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK. Born in a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, he previously served as the Palestinian Envoy to the US before the closure of the PLO Office in Washington DC instigated by President Trump in 2018. Ambassador Zomlot has since advocated that Britain spearhead the peace process in the Middle East, and acts as a leader in global diplomacy

Rt Rev Jonathan Goodall was formerly Bishop of Ebbsfleet. Previous to this he served on the Bicester Team Ministry, including time as Assistant Chaplain at HMP Bullingdon. Following this he was research assistant and chaplain to the Bishops of Gibraltar and ecumenical secretary and chaplain to the Archbishops of Canterbury.

Afif Safieh is a Palestinian diplomat. He was most recently the Palestinian ambassador to the Russian Federation. He is considered the most experienced and skilled Palestinian diplomat having served in the three most politically significant capitals: London, Washington, and Moscow.

Born in Bethlehem, Bassam Aburdene is Chairman and co-founder of the Capital Trust Group. In addition to being a Patron of Action around Bethlehem Children with Disability (ABCD), he is a member of the Board of Trustees of Bethlehem University and is active in supporting many Palestinian and other international charities.

Reverend Canon Roger Royle is an Anglican priest and broadcaster. He has been most well known for presenting Sunday Half Hour on BBC Radio 2.

The Right Reverend James Langstaff is an Anglican bishop. Since December 2010, he has been Bishop of Rochester. From 2004 to 2010, he was Bishop of Lynn, and a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Norwich.

The Right Honorable The Lord Hylton is a British peer and landowner. He is one of 92 hereditary peers elected to remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999, sitting as a crossbencher. He is currently the longest serving Crossbench member of the House of Lords.

David Lidington served in the House of Commons for almost 28 years before retiring at the 2019 General Election. After holding a number of shadow ministerial posts, including Opposition spokesman on the Middle East and North Africa, he entered government in 2010 as Minister for Europe at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He subsequently served as Leader of the House of Commons, Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, and Minister for the Cabinet Office, in which last capacity he was also deputy to Prime Minister Theresa May. David has represented the United Kingdom at the EU, NATO, OSCE, Council of Europe and UN Security Council. Since leaving Parliament, he has taken on a number of responsibilities including Chair of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the UK’s leading think tank on Defence, Security and Geopolitics.

Rev Garth Hewitt is first and foremost a troubadour, performing with his guitar across the world his songs of peace. Founding the human rights charity, Amos Trust in 1985, he worked as it’s Director for 26 years. For 25 years he was also Director of the Greenbelt Festival. He has written many books and has created excess of 40 albums over the years. He is also a Canon of St George’s Anglican Cathedral, East Jerusalem.