The Michael Varah Memorial Fund

Vasari Singers Carol Concert Dec 2009		The Vasari Singers perform in view of the famous Henry Moore Altar at St Stephen's Walbrook.
		The Choir during their mesmerising performance of "O Holy Night".
		Bob Hoskins thrilled the congregation with his reading of King John's Christmas by AA Milne.
		The setting for our Candlelit Carol Concert.
		The congregation were in fine voice and full of Christmas cheer!

Yukon River Challenge 2009		The team prepare themselves for the challenges of the mighty Yukon.
		Fantastic scenery, but hard work on route.
		Exhausted but proud, the successful crew at the finish.
		Charity celeb Will Kinder talks to Canadian television!

Christmas Cards 2009		'The Haves and Have Nots' designed by Alicia, a prisoner at HMP Send, who designed this card with our Artist in Residence, in association with the Watts Gallery.
		'Home Comforts' designed by Jasmine, a prisoner at HMP Send, who designed this card with our Artist in Residence, in association with the Watts Gallery.

Masquerade Ball May 2009		The Porter Tun at The Brewery
		Guests enjoy the evening
		Sally Varah (Chair, MVMF Trustees) with Caroline Ward (Chief Executive, Mayday Trust, funded by the MVMF)
		Artwork from Send Women's Prison's Artist in Residence Scheme, funded by the MVMF
		Freya Mitton of Sotheby's conducting the auction.

Cornish Walk 2008		The fantastic 5 plus toddler begin their 18 mile walk in the sunshine at Padstow towards their goal: Ł1750 of sponsorship.
		Walking fast towards the lighthouse, the Cornish pasty lunch and a 5 minute break!
		The victorious 6 plus lunch provider at the end of their walk in Watergate Bay – complete with medals.

Hike 4 Mike 2008		The intrepid walkers set off for their spring wonderland sponsored walk to the top of Holmbury Hill – and raise Ł2500 in the process!
		The 120 walkers reach the summit (whilst those on the children’s nature trail make a 10ft snowman!)
		The walkers take refuge in the village hall for a Fete with games officiated by GB Triathlete Vanessa Fawcett – here the egg and spoon gets underway!

Ball 2007		Guests at The MVMF Ball September 2007 which raised Ł40,000 for the fund and saw guests dancing until dawn…!
		Kate and James Varah, Founders of the MVMF, delivering a short speech to guests at the Ball, prior to the auction conducted by Freya Mitton of Sotheby’s who raised Ł16,000 in 20 minutes!

Cycle 4 Michael 2007 & 2008		Georgina Cooper and 20 friends and family raised Ł1,300 for the Fund in a sponsored 30km cycle ride from Harrogate to Ripley in August 2007. Despite the rain, mud and hills a good challenge was enjoyed by all (and the event is being repeated in summer 2008)!
		Georgina was joined by 30 friends this year for a repeat run of the Cycle 4 Michael raising up to Ł1000. Sunshine blessed the group this year and the event was enjoyed by all - including the youngest participant who was 3 years old!

Marathon 2008		Kay Standidge after completing the Flora London Marathon in 4 hours 58 minutes. Her words as she crossed the finish line were: ‘Never again…’. Her sterling efforts raised Ł1,650 for the Fund.
Athletics		In 1965, Michael won a coveted place on the Great Britain Athletics Team. He held the British Indoor Athletics 800 metre record and ran in many international athletic meets – including the Commonwealth Games in Jamaica and the Tokyo World Student Games.
		At Crystal Palace on 22nd June 1966, Michael ran second leg in the four-man team that established two new World Relay Records for the 4 x 880 yards and 4 x 800 metres. “And Varah, aged 21, made a tremendous burst just 100 yards from the end of his leg, to put Britain into the lead …”

Family		Michael (right) with his brothers, Andrew and David. The eldest of triplet sons born to Chad and Susan Varah, he had an elder sister, Felicity, and younger brother, Charles.
		He stood full square behind his beliefs, whatever adversities were thrown in his path. Coupled with his complete integrity, this was rewarded by richly deserved public appointments: he was a Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey, and was to be High Sheriff in 2008-09.
		The perfect father and husband, he taught us all how to live. His children, Kate and James, and his wife Sally, continue Michael’s legacy with this Fund and strive to make a difference for him, and because of him.

Probation		Whilst Michael was Chief, Surrey Probation Service was at its zenith. Successive Home Secretaries – here, Douglas Hurd – applauded the work being done. By the time Michael resigned, Surrey had the third highest performance of the 42 UK probation areas and recorded the highest level of sentencer satisfaction in the south-east.
		Recognising the restorative benefits of community not custodial sentencing, in 1990 Michael sent 32 serious offenders from Surrey on CS Orders to Romania, to renovate a children’s hospital. Two years on, only one of the 32 had reoffended and nine (with orders completed) returned to Romania as volunteer plumbers, electricians and builders, befriending the patients.
		Michael at Surrey Probation Headquarters in March 2004, the month he resigned from the Service. At the time, he was the UK’s longest-serving Chief Probation Officer. Just hours before his death, he wrote, “If I had my time again, I would still have devoted my life to Probation. It was a job and vocation that I loved with a deep passion.”

Rehabilitation		Michael recognised that an acute lack of accommodation for homeless ex-offenders placed them at greater risk of re-offending. With his friend, Jim Higgins, he set up a hostel in the 1970s which was the forerunner of The Rugby Mayday Trust, the registered charity that they then founded. Today, it provides supported accommodation for over 500 people.
		With research showing that most young people grow out of delinquency by their late teens, and that custodial and residential establishments tend to have a very negative impact on offenders, he lobbied actively to set up resources and programmes as alternatives to custody.

Surrey Springboard		By founding the Surrey Springboard Trust, he created opportunities for ex-offenders and those leaving prison who needed a high level of support to put their offending behaviour behind them. Over six years, the Trust employed c.30 staff and employed ex-offenders on decorating, gardening and woodwork projects.
		Michael raised cŁ4.5million to ensure the survival of Springboard. It was typical of him to put so much personal commitment, energy and hours of work – on top of his day job – to help others get the stake in society that fate and circumstance had denied them.

Samaritans		He served as a Trustee of Samaritans, the international charity founded by his own father, Chad Varah, in 1952. He was privileged and proud of his Trusteeship, gained through an elected process (not nepotism) and reflecting his years of experience and wisdom in relation to vulnerable people. Here, with fellow Trustee, Bryn Davies, at the York Conference 2006.