Give the Best Away: The story of one of Britain's most generous philanthropists

by Murray Watts; Rosemary Lancaster

Publisher:

Monarch Books

, 2018

Overview

Rosemary was born at the end of the Second World War. She grew up in a poor family in Clitheroe, struggling for survival in the era of ration books and austerity. But Rose was destined for something astonishing and inspiring, far beyond even her wildest dreams. John Lancaster, whom she married, left school without qualifications, clearly a loser. But he had an amazing ability to fix machines and invent things. He would go on to corner the market in conservatory roofing systems; his company became a world leader, floating on the stock market for £136 million. They were multi-millionaires. The pair, both committed Christians, set about giving away their astonishing fortune, starting with their employees. They set up the Lancaster Foundation, with Rose in charge, purchased an emergency plane for Mission Aviation Fellowship, and started the first village for destitute AIDS victims in South Africa. They did not give and walk away: Rose found herself rescuing children from the rubbish tips of Kenya. They have sponsored arts initiatives and major inner city regeneration projects in Manchester. They are one of Britain’s generous philanthropists.

Contents

Contents
Acknowledgments 6
Prologue 9
Chapter
One Floating! 11
Two Family History 13
Th ree Courtship and Marriage 28
Four Family Life 41
Five Testing Times 53
Six Th e Rise of Ultraframe 70
Seven Smugglers 84
Eight Explosion! 104
Nine Th e Lancaster Foundation 117
Ten Flying High: MAF 126
Eleven African Adventures Continued 142
Twelve Sparrow Rainbow Village 152
Th irteen Two Projects in the UK:
Th e Story of NGM and Th e Message 169
Fourteen Open Arms International 186
Fifteen Th e Solomon Project 205
Sixteen Full Circle 223
Epilogue Refl ections from Switzerland 250
Appendix Th e Lancaster Foundation 252

Praise for Give the Best Away

What an incredible story - and beautifully written. I was in tears after the first few pages! Rose has changed the lives of so many through her generosity of heart and the amazing stewardship of what the Lord has provided." - Rosemary Conley CBE

"In the Bible God told Abraham: ‘I will bless you... and you will be a blessing.’ That’s what God did for the Lancaster family. The story of how He took them from the bottom to the top and is using them to bring healing to a broken world is a real page-turner and faith builder." - Bob Gass, international author and speaker

"Ray and I first met John and Rose thirty-five years ago when they were living in a caravan with their young family, but even with very little themselves, they were generous to us and have continued to be so to this day. They are incredible people and amazing friends." - Nancy Goudie, author and motivational speaker

"John and Rose’s willingness to invest, specifically the three aircraft they enabled MAF to purchase, has resulted in thousands of lives being transformed. Their heart for Africa has always been demonstrated through their practical visits of support." - Ruth Whitaker, CEO MAF UK

"Being friends with John and Rose, I have known something of their beautiful story. However, to see it all written down has been truly inspirational. I’m sure like me, you will be touched by their infectious virus of generosity." - Andy Hawthorne OBE, founder of The Message Trust, Manchester

"This book is inspiring and portrays Rosemary’s compassionate heart and bravery, especially the story of going onto the dangerous rubbish dumps in Eldoret. With the incredible support of the Lancaster Foundation, Mary’s Meals is instrumental in getting hungry children to attend school by providing 22,000 school meals a day in Eldoret city." - Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow OBE, founder of Mary’s Meals

Product Details

• Title : Give the Best Away
• Authors:
  • Lancaster, Rosemary
  • Watts, Murray
• Publisher: Monarch Books
• Publication Date: 2018
• ISBN: 9780857218162