Hampshire charity worker named as Woman of the Year (From This is Hampshire)

Jane Walker named as a Woman of the Year for Manila charity work

12:00pm Monday 12th October 2009 in News By Clare Kennedy, Health Reporter

INSPIRATIONAL Jane Walker who founded the Philippine Community Fund from her Hampshire home has today been honoured at the 54th annual Women of the Year Lunch in London.

The 45-year-old from Hedge End began the organisation in 1996 and it became a registered charity six years later.

During that time she has given hope to hundreds of children and their families living on dump sites in the poorest slums of Manila by providing education, food, healthcare and skills training.

The charity runs three of its own schools with a fourth, made out of 72 converted shipping containers, due to open next June.

Jane, who now lives most of the time in Manila, said she was accepting the Women of The Year Window To The World gong on behalf of everyone who supported the charity.

"I started the work but it could not have been successful without all the hard work from people here in the UK and in the Philippines.

"It's not just a one person effort."

Other winners today included Dame Vera Lynn, 92, who was presented with a lifetime achievement by another forces' sweetheart - singer Katherine Jenkins.

All of the award winners were nominated by the Women Of The Year Council, which includes Maureen Lipman, Mary Nightingale, Virginia Wade, and Glenys Kinnock

• For a full interview with Jane Walker see tomorrow's Daily Echo.