Winner of the 2024 National Diversity Award for Community Organisation: Race, Religion & Faith
Roy and Carmen Wiltshire, trailblazing global humanitarians, are the visionaries behind the Karoy Foundation, established in 2009 when Carmen was 69 and Roy 65. As prominent Windrush pioneers, the Foundation builds on their six decades of tireless service, driving social change and fostering socioeconomic sustainability.
Their leadership has spearheaded aid projects for vulnerable communities in Ghana, Jamaica, and the UK. Key initiatives include a community college for adults in London, the active construction of an elementary school for 600 children and clean water borehole projects in Ghana, as well as providing breakfast and educational resources for underprivileged children in Jamaica. They also organise impactful fundraising events in the UK to support these endeavours.
Now aged 84 and 80, Carmen and Roy continue to profoundly enhance the physical, social, and mental well-being of countless individuals. Overcoming personal adversity, they have dedicated their lives to supporting the educational and welfare needs of disadvantaged children and communities—a mission that defines their legacy.
Here, Carmen and Roy share more about their journey and transformative work:
How our work has affected our community
Our work has profoundly affected communities by providing vital support through resources, education and humanitarian aid where it's needed most. Since 2009, the Karoy Foundation Community College in Tooting has empowered adults with courses in English, Maths, Computing and Dressmaking, opening doors to further education and self-sufficiency.
In Jamaica, we’ve been working with two schools to support children’s education and wellbeing. By providing breakfast and essential school supplies, we’re helping them start their day well, stay focused and succeed academically.
In Ghana, our projects have focused on making life easier and safer in rural areas. We’ve installed wells to bring clean water closer to home, reducing the long and often unsafe journeys for women and children. The primary school we’re building will soon provide a secure, accessible place for 200 children aged three to 14 to learn and grow.
Rooted in a commitment to shared humanity, we hope our work inspires, nurtures potential and fosters lasting change in every community we touch.
Why we started out on this journey
Our journey started with a recognition of unmet needs and a desire to make a difference in real, practical ways. It all began in the UK, where my teacher training opened my eyes to the challenges many adults face, particularly in literacy. In my secular jobs, I met adults who couldn’t read or write and it struck me deeply. So, I decided to take action, hiring a hall and establishing the Karoy Foundation Community College to offer courses that empower adults with the skills they need for self-sufficiency and further education.
The Breakfast Club initiative in Jamaica came from a similar moment of insight. While on holiday there, I asked around to see if local children were coming to school hungry due to financial constraints at home. I learned about a school in Manchester, Jamaica where children needed breakfast to help them start their school day focused and energised. That’s how we began supporting their breakfast programme, sending funds each term to ensure students had a nutritious start.
In Ghana, the focus shifted to even more basic needs—safe drinking water and accessible education. I noticed the tremendous effort villagers had to make to collect water, often walking long distances for water that wasn’t always clean. We began constructing wells to provide a local, reliable source of clean water, making daily life safer and easier.
During my mission work, I also observed that many children didn’t attend school because it was too far to walk. When the local chief approached me about the possibility of building a school, I saw it as a critical way to create sustainable change. We’re now building a primary school that will serve around 200 children, offering them a secure and accessible learning environment.
Each of these projects is about addressing practical needs while respecting the dignity and potential of every person. This journey has been shaped by listening, observing and acting, always with the hope of fostering environments where people can thrive.
Our initiatives which have had the greatest impact
The initiatives that have had the greatest effect and most impact are, firstly, providing clean running water through our wells. Access to safe water is essential for health and well-being, sustaining life in every sense.
The second is our focus on education—offering adult learning programs and building a primary school for children in Ghana. Education empowers individuals, builds connections and lays the foundation for a brighter future, making it invaluable for both personal and community growth.
With hindsight, this is what we would have done differently
Knowing what we do now, one thing we would do differently is to use social media more effectively to promote and support our charity. We recognise that in today’s world, social media is a vital tool for reaching a wider audience and raising awareness about our work, helping to connect with people who are eager to support our mission.
Our advice would to other people trying to help their community
If you're inspired to help your community, take a leap of faith and get started. Don’t hesitate to reach out to others for support when needed: collaboration and shared effort make a world of difference.
The people who have inspired us
Sir Bob Geldof has been a significant inspiration to us. His relentless dedication to raising awareness and mobilising action for global causes, particularly through initiatives like Live Aid, has shown us the power of one individual to spark change. His commitment to using his platform for good has inspired us to do the same in our own work.
Being of the Christian faith, our ultimate inspiration is Jesus Christ, because he was a true embodiment of love, compassion and service to others. His selflessness and dedication to helping those in need continue to guide and inspire us in all that we do.
The ways in which local or national government could help us in our work
Our imminent priority is the Karoy Elementary School and borehole wells in the remote, poverty-stricken village of Yaobawdi, Ghana. We have made great headway in undertaking the development of our elementary school and borehole wells with the support of Ghana’s local land directors, architects, and labourers. Over the past 10+ years, we are proud of what we have accomplished as a small charity. We have hired labourers to construct the necessary infrastructure and their expertise and dedication have been invaluable, enabling us to progress significantly. However, to complete this transformative project, we now urgently need a CSR partnership to assist our charity in accomplishing this vital task. We are almost there, but support is key to reaching the finish line.
The elementary school we are building will provide underprivileged children with access to education and the opportunities they need to succeed. Completing the project requires funds to purchase iron rods, stones, concrete, roofing sheets, doors and windows, as well as addressing essential land development needs.
In tandem, we are working to provide clean and safe water to the community through borehole wells. Contaminated water poses serious health risks, leading to diseases such as cholera, typhoid and hepatitis. In Pakro, villagers, including women and children, are forced to walk hundreds of miles to access education or fetch water, often becoming victims of fatalities, physical harm or sexual violence along the way. Building this school and the borehole wells in this village will transform their lives and their mental and physical well-being in immeasurable ways.
They deserve this change: to live, to learn, to thrive and to prosper. We care about every one of these villagers and we cannot let them down. We plan to complete this project in 2025: with significant CSR assistance, we are confident we will succeed.
We just want this to stop. Together, we can bring clean water, education and safety to these vulnerable communities and make a lasting difference for generations to come.
Our future goals
Our next goal is to visit Namibia, near South Africa, and to do another community initiative here in the UK. This is very important to us. We recognise our physical limitations due to our advanced ages, but these are desires and goals we are passionate about. We will continue to do as much as we can whilst we are physically able. The drive to help others remains strong and we are determined to keep making a difference where we can.
What this award means to us and our community
We are extremely happy to win this award and deeply grateful that our journey has been acknowledged in this way, alongside such esteemed individuals. This award reflects our perseverance, resilience and dedication in overcoming challenges. It means a great deal to us, as it recognises not only our efforts but also the support of our community. We are inspired to continue striving to make a positive impact, knowing that our work resonates and contributes to something greater.
How this award will benefit our work
This award will be incredibly beneficial. It brings greater visibility to our charity, opening the door to a wider audience who may feel inspired to support our work. With this increased recognition, we hope more people will be moved to contribute generously, seeing firsthand our progress and updates on our social media platforms, helping us complete the primary school in Ghana and continue making a lasting impact.
Our evening at the National Diversity Awards
Unfortunately, my husband Roy and I were disappointed not to attend the National Diversity Awards ceremony due to his illness, but we were grateful to be represented by Miss Beverley Drummond, our charity secretary, and Mrs. Carol Wilson-Frith, our Windrush Pioneer Ambassador and PR Agent. They shared how vibrant and inspiring the evening was, filled with excitement, insight and joy. Watching it live from home allowed us to experience some of those emotions firsthand, and we were absolutely thrilled to learn we had won in the Race, Faith and Religion category. It was a truly humbling and proud moment for us all. A moment we will never forget. Thank you National Diversity Awards!