Meet Alan

RoundTrip is a volunteer organisation whose concept was born from many years of travel. Our roots are deeply embedded in wandering, especially in developing countries.

I have worked as a freelance writer and editor since 1998, most of which have been for Lonely Planet in Africa. It was during this time that seeing and meeting people, especially kids, living in desperate circumstances motivated me to get involved in volunteer work.

My personal journey, however, took a twist in 2010 whilst on a volunteer program in Thailand for a refugee advocacy group. I left the program with a diagnosis of young-onset Parkinson’s disease. The diagnosis initially shattered me. It was only through the support of my close friends and family, and the compassion and love of my wife, Alison, that I began to come to terms with the condition.

Since those dark days, in many ways Parkinson’s became a strength, helping to inspire thoughts around helping other people. In coming years it would also prove to be a key factor in providing the focus and energy needed to run a small volunteer organisation.

In 2011 it was time to act. I formed partnerships with friends and trusted contacts in Sri Lanka and Zambia. Led by local people in these countries, I initiated development projects with an emphasis on disadvantaged children. These were funded by myself and my wife. Soon after, Friends 4 Life – the forerunner to RoundTrip Foundation – was born.

“RoundTrip’ itself came from an extensive consultation amongst colleagues and friends and a desire to align our activities more with the travel industry.

I love the RoundTrip Foundation concept: ‘give back and complete the journey’. The idea that no trip is complete unless you’ve given back from your travels, especially if your journey incorporates developing countries. For me, this is the essence of travel. It encapsulates all the good things about many years spent on the road as a travel writer.

This experience has made me understand that life is about people, wherever you meet them, and at the end of the day we are all humanity and all equal. We were just given a different set of circumstances to find ourselves, and this in large part is dependent on where we were born.

RoundTrip started with me but it’s about so much more. It is a shared journey. I would like to acknowledge and thank my colleagues, my friends, at RoundTrip. I am lucky and privileged to know them. I would also like to pay tribute to the Africans and Sri Lankans that we support. This is their organisation – they are the decision-makers and if anyone owns RoundTrip, it is them.