Peter Waddup, CEO - The Leprosy Mission Great Britain

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This year The Leprosy Mission celebrates its 150th anniversary. It's both humbling and of huge encouragement to look back to our beginnings and the journey to 2024. This week, I have been reminded of our roots on a visit to Peterborough Cathedral. It was there I caught up with the Right Reverend Debbie Sellin, the new Bishop of Peterborough. In a symbolic act reminiscent of the Olympic torch traversing the globe, Bishop Debbie received a baton! The simple baton you see pictured signifies something so much more. It will work its way across the world to Delhi in India, where The Leprosy Mission's work began all those years ago.

The baton began its journey in Ireland, the homeland of Wellesley and Alice Bailey. I often wonder how the Baileys would react on hearing their work had grown to change millions of lives. In 1874, Wellesley's spirit of adventure took him to India. It was there he came across a community of outcasts - people with clawed hands and disfigured faces. He didn't know about leprosy and there was no cure for the disease back then. All he, and later Alice, could do was love and care for this ostracised community.

They couldn’t expand this amazing work the help of friends at home who partnered with them as fundraisers. So many who could not physically go to India and help, raising funds was just as important.

I said that looking back at our history was both humbling and encouraging in so many ways. Firstly it demonstrates that we cannot do this alone and are all part of something so much bigger. It goes to show that whether you are Princess Diana, our former Patron, or a widow giving £5, we can all play an essential part. We all have a responsibility to do what we are able.

Many of our UK supporters have taken up the baton of helping people with leprosy from their parents. The baton to end leprosy is now with a generation running the race with more tools and knowledge than ever before. It's so exciting to see what will happen if we all play our part.

Bishop Debbie has taken up the baton of caring for people with leprosy from her predecessor. The Right Reverend Donald Allister visited our projects in Bangladesh and became our Vice-President. As the Bishop of Peterborough sits in the House of Lords, he was able to represent people affected by leprosy at a high level. Bishop Debbie says she too wants to raise the voices of some of the world's most marginalised people.

From humble beginnings in India, The Leprosy Mission now works in 31 countries. Today, people affected by leprosy still need us, and it’s our turn to carry this baton of hope, and to do whatever we can to end this devasting disease for good.