Joseph…

Fr. Joseph is a person who makes things happen. He started BRICKS in 2007 with his passion for technology as a driving force – seeking to connect rural-China’s marginalised with an international audience by applying the power of the internet.  To build BRICKS he brought together his Catholic faith, 5 years’ experience of working with the rural poor through Jinde Charities, and 23 years of ministry as a Vincentian priest. Combined with his recently acquired MBA he has carved out a niche for BRICKS in the competitive NGO marketplace of China’s largest cities by building a team that reaches out to help remote rural groups and their charities flourish.

Shengwei…

In a perfect world his every task at BRICKS would let his creativity on a sketch pad run free; But his IT acumen is just too much for us to let go. He has developed the BRICKS website and played a huge role in designing the brand and marketing materials. His skills as an artist, graphic designer and programmer are made all the more amazing by the fact that this is just a hobby of his – He is currently preparing for an MA in Philosophy at Peking University. His selfless devotion to BRICKS every Saturday afternoon has been crucial to turn BRICKS into a communications bridge between the charities we work with and the national and international donors who seek to support them.

Peter…

It is hard to imagine Peter without a smile, and it is precisely his effortlessly warm personality that makes BRICKS so approachable for the Chinese charities we work with. Like many of our partners, he is from rural China. Building on his degree in English he started working for Jinde Charities to help with their English language publicity. In 2009 he moved to Beijing to become an English teacher where he met his now-wife Teresa.  It was at this time that he crossed paths with BRICKS and began to offer his skills whenever possible. Before long he became an integral part of the team and liaises between projects and international donors around Beijing.

Merry…

Every large Chinese family seems to have a big sister who holds things together – ours is Merry. But the occasional home cooked delicacies are not the only thing she brings to the table. As senior finance manager in an international corporation here in Beijing, she has given BRICKS the financial accountability and stability it seeks to promote in all its organisations. Merry has not only been offering her Saturdays to build BRICKS in this way, but also visits projects to advise on their own financial management systems.

Patricia…

Patricia’s calm and friendly exterior can easily belie the sharp executive insight she has given BRICKS since its inception. Formerly a senior manager in the cut-throat environment of London’s media industry her influence on BRICKS’ marketing strategies and organisational development has been invaluable. Her work here in Beijing may seem like a far cry from London media, but her zest remains the same. As a university professor, and also a catechist at Beijing’s South Cathedral, she has her work cut out, but without her regular Saturday contributions BRICKS would not have gained the structure it enjoys today.

Teresa…

When faced with tricky concepts we all know what difference a good teacher makes. When you see Teresa explaining management techniques to BRICKS’s rural projects one can have no doubt that she must be just as valued at the international primary school she teaches at. She is a patient negotiator who has given professional consultations to large charities as much as budding organisations taking their first steps; but most importantly, she cares. The very personal approach she takes towards every project is a big part of what makes BRICKS special to the people we support.

Henry…

Henry is BRICKS’ “connector”. In almost every circumstance, he seems to “know” someone and make the links to people who can bring an idea to the next level. Added to his Chinese skills and interest in development issues, he has very quickly become an integral part of the BRICKS team. Since joining, he has had to do everything from run a charity half marathon to developing a major new volunteer placement initiative from scratch, all done with equal enthusiasm. He brings to the mix a flavour of Generation Y which it hitherto lacked.