Margery's life and plans for her lasting legacy

Margery and her husband will still be making a difference in the lives of people all around the world for many years.

Written by Tarryn Pegna | 27 Jan 2025

Margery and John look at an album of photos

Margery and her husband John have been driven by their faith to make a difference in the lives of other people all around the world for many years. Now, by leaving a gift in their will, they've planned to ensure that work will continue long into the future. Credit: Fruit Media UK

Margery and her husband John have been driven by their faith to make a difference in the lives of other people all around the world for many years.

What started as a prayer group at university has turned into a lifelong expression of God’s love for those in need. Between them, Margery and John have supported Tearfund’s work abroad, worked for Tearfund in the UK, and raised children who have also travelled to Malawi and Brazil as part of Tearfund’s work.

Now, Margery and John have planned to ensure that their legacy of transforming people’s lives for good will continue long into the future by leaving a gift to Tearfund in their will.

Why Tearfund?

‘We first got to know about Tearfund at university,’ says Margery. ‘We had a friend who went to Bangladesh with Tearfund, so we had a group get together to pray for him and from that we decided to find out more about Tearfund’s work in other countries. A few of us from the group took part in the summer volunteer trips that Tearfund used to run, called Transform. I did one to Portugal in 1978 where we painted a children’s home.

‘A couple of years later, I spent two years in Thailand during the Cambodian crisis. We were working in a camp with 6,000 people in it that was meant for 2,000 people. The work was non-stop. Despite the horrific stories – like the fact that most boats that the people arrived on had been attacked at least once by pirates, women had been raped, families were separated – the resilience of the people was amazing.

‘Last year, I was able to meet up again with one of the ladies from the refugee camp. She had been the lone survivor on her boat and had lost both her brothers. We’ve kept in touch all these years, so when her daughter was coming over to study in the UK, I invited her to visit me in Scotland and she came.

‘Thailand made a huge impact on me. And it was quite something to meet someone again that I’d met 40 years ago!

‘When I’d met her in the camp, I’d told her that my sister was expecting a baby. At that time, she was so excited and she had this baby blanket that she gave me for my niece. This time, when she came to visit, she brought one for my granddaughter.

Margaret and her friend in the refugee camp in Thailand 40 years ago

Margery and the friend she made in Thailand 40 years ago.

Margery and her friend from Thailand 40 years after they first met

Recently, Margery was able to meet up with a friend she had made in the refugee camp in Thailand 40 years ago.

Why leave a gift in your will?

‘We have a real fondness for the organisation,’ says Margery. ‘And we’ve seen it really evolve.

‘My husband also worked as the Tearfund co-ordinator for the north of England for 14 years and I did a stint in the Glasgow office of Tearfund, mostly doing a volunteer management role.

‘As coordinator, John took volunteers on working trips overseas every few years and both our children have done volunteer trips with Tearfund.

‘We were at Tearfund’s 50th Anniversary celebrations in Glasgow a few years ago, and we got the feeling that wonderful things have definitely happened in the past but that what is happening in the present is very exciting. The vision for the future is inspiring too!

‘Things have changed over the years, but our feeling for Tearfund is that it’s in a good place.

‘Because we’ve been Tearfund supporters for the last 30 years, it’s one of the main charities we give to. So, leaving a gift in our will seemed like the obvious thing for us to do.

‘We know we can trust that the money will be used well by Tearfund’s partners and we know how Tearfund works.

‘Over the years, we’ve had partners come to stay from the Philippines and Kenya and UK staff from overseas. That personal link makes a huge difference. It was that personal link in the start which began our involvement with Tearfund.

‘And having both worked with Tearfund in the UK and overseas, John and I are aware of the life-changing work that is being done, continuing the vision of 50 years.’

How can you make a lasting impact with your faith too?

Driven by our faith in Christ and longing to follow him where the need is greatest, we believe that you, we, all of us who are the church are God’s answer to extreme poverty. We believe that God’s plan is for each person to have the opportunity to thrive and fulfil their God-given potential.

Like Margery, John and many other faithful Tearfund supporters, you too can make a lasting impact on people’s lives by leaving a gift in your will.

Find out more about our work through the local church around the world here, and sign up to pray with us each week for people and places where your prayers are urgently needed.