How It All Started
The Mike Campbell Foundation (MCF) was registered as a UK-based charity in 2012 to continue the work of the late Mike Campbell, a dynamic Zimbabwean commercial farmer and conservationist. Mike was the owner of Mount Carmel farm in the Chegutu district, the largest mango grower in the country.
Together with his son-in-law, Ben Freeth MBE, Mike took former President Robert Mugabe to the regional human rights court, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Tribunal, over his government’s chaotic and brutal land seizure programme.
They won the case in 2008 but the land invasions and chaos continued - and still continue - under President Emmerson Mnangagwa who deposed Mugabe in a 2017 de facto coup. Ben Freeth has dedicated his life to helping rebuild their beloved country and in particular the vital agricultural sector.
To become a beacon of hope in Africa, rebuilt on the foundations of justice, the rule of law, democracy, human rights, and property rights, with a vibrant agri-based economy and opportunities for all.
To contribute towards:
-
Restoration of democracy
-
Restoration of the rule of law
-
Restoration of property rights and the crucial agricultural sector
-
Restoration of justice and compensation for human rights abuses
-
Education and supporting people through sustainable development and empowerment
The Mike Campbell Foundation is not a religious charity, but our Christian ethos continues to be at the heart of all our activities. The verse from the Bible that motivates the Foundation and encapsulates our ethos is Micah 6:8:
"The Lord has shown you what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."
Our Vision & Goal for Zimbabwe
Meet Our Dedicated Team
Ben Freeth
Executive Director
Ben Freeth, MBE became the first regional executive officer of the Commercial Farmers’ Union in Zimbabwe in 1996 and worked closely with the large-scale commercial farmers and subsistence farmers in the communal areas. He assisted his father-in-law, Mike Campbell, on Mount Carmel farm, which became the largest mango estate in the country with an EU-accredited pack shed. Mike and Ben took President Mugabe’s government to the Southern African Development Community’s regional court, the SADC Tribunal, for the takeover of the farm by a senior ZANU PF politburo member. They won the case, Mike Campbell (Pvt) Ltd and Others v Republic of Zimbabwe in 2008, but still lost the farm. Ben dedicates his time to the restoration of justice, the rule of law, human rights, property rights and the agricultural sector in Zimbabwe. He also coordinates our free conservation agriculture training programme for destitute farm workers and community leaders, as well as our education project.
Claire Freeth
Chairman
Claire’s commitment to helping destitute farmers, farm workers and their families in Zimbabwe culminated in her setting up the Mike Campbell Foundation as a UK-based charity in 2011. Before this, she assisted with various initiatives in the UK on an informal basis, including giving presentations and speaking at events to raise awareness of the plight of vulnerable Zimbabweans. Prior to mid 2009, when Mike Campbell and his family were finally forced to leave Mike’s Mount Carmel farm, Claire helped her daughter-in-law, Laura, with the marketing of a hand-embroidery project that Laura had set up in 2001 to provide employment for the wives of farm workers on Mount Carmel and the surrounding farms.
Robert Ridgway
Trustee
Robert spent all of the 44 years of his career on aid work in and for developing countries across Africa and Asia. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and his doctorate research was on the use of early space photography for natural resources management. He has been employed long-term by the UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN, and latterly as a staff member of the University of Greenwich’s Natural Resources Institute. The focus of much of his work has been advising overseas governments on land reform methods beneficial to their rural areas, a subject close to the heart of MCF’s commitment to the people of Zimbabwe.
Elize Angula
Trustee
Elize is the director and founder of AngulaCo in Windhoek, Namibia. Elize has 22 years experience in civil, commercial litigation, constitutional and judicial review, and commercial law. She is a certified conveyancer and skilled in commercial arbitration and labour law. Elize holds a Proc Degree from the University of Western Cape obtained in 1998. *Former President of the Law Society of Namibia (2005/2006) *Former Member of the Judicial *Service Commission *Former Trustee of the Legal *Assistance Centre *Acting Judge of the High Court of Namibia *Former Judge of the Land’s Tribunal *Serves on boards of private and public institutions *Served as Chairperson of the *Development Bank of Namibia She is also experienced in international tribunal litigation, having practiced in the Southern African Development Community’s SADC Tribunal, the regional human rights court closed down in 2012 at the instigation of Zimbabwe’s late president, Robert Mugabe. “I joined the Mike Campbell Foundation because I hope to lift up the torch of hope, courage and determination which the late Mike Campbell stood for, and to ensure that his legacy of fighting for what is right lives on. I believe that nothing can be achieved unless we stand up for what is right - no matter the difficulty - and the insignificance of our stance.”
Max Perkin
Trustee
Max is a strategy and management consultant within the Financial Services industry based in London. Prior to this he was on staff at Holy Trinity Brompton, establishing a fully sustainable social enterprise in West London, responsible for business strategy and development. Max holds a BA in History from the University of Exeter where he specialised in sub-Saharan, post-colonial history. By chance, Max has found himself in Zimbabwe over both the 2008 and 2013 elections, firstly as a volunteer for MCF partner – Foundations for Farming – and subsequently on a fundraiser driving from Africa’s most northern to southern points. His year spent in Zimbabwe (2007-08) was the start of a long-standing commitment to serve the people and see the rule of law established.
Rosemary Summerfield
Trustee
Rosemary has spent most of her life abroad but completed her education in England. After graduating from London University with a B.Ed degree, she embarked on a 25-year teaching career, teaching mainly primary school children. She returned to academia to do postgraduate study, gaining an M.A. (University of Bath) and M.Ed. (University of Bristol). Her particular interest is in the area of homework and teachers’ perceptions of homework. Rosemary is passionate about children’s well-being in the developed and developing world and has a particular interest in supporting children in Africa. She has volunteered in several capacities in her local community and at church. She is a member of Christian Concern for Our Nation and Theos, a UK-based religion and society think-tank.
John Webb - Peploe
Trustee
Jon is an experienced business professional who has grown sales, cut costs and stimulated innovation for small enterprises and large corporations in a variety of challenging markets and industries, in the UK and other countries. He is currently Enterprise Account Executive at Apple. Prior to joining Apple, Jon worked at Cisco (Internet solutions) for five years. He has co-founded and managed two small businesses, and undertaken roles in product management, operations, business development and sales, in the financial services, telecommunications, oil and gas and pharmaceutical industries. He has an MBA with distinction from the University of Bath. Jon provides hands-on support to a small number of charities that he cares passionately about. He believes that the vision and goals of the Mike Campbell Foundation are vital for justice and hope in the future of Zimbabwe and beyond.
Luke Hardingham
Trustee
Luke Hardingham is a lawyer with the Serious Fraud Office which leads the UK's fight against serious fraud, bribery and corruption. He was previously with the law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) based in London and has experience in white collar crime, property law and financial regulation. Luke’s MA in Classics consisted of three years at the University of Edinburgh and a year at the University of Chicago. He also holds an LL.M (post graduate degree) having subsequently spent two years at law school. Luke’s interest in Zimbabwe was sparked during his teenage years on hearing Ben Freeth speak about the systemic injustice that has plagued the nation and the suffering that has inevitably followed. Before becoming a trustee, Luke was involved with the MCF in a volunteering capacity, organising events and rallying people around the charity’s cause. Luke and his wife, Amy, spent time in Zimbabwe over the summer of 2018 and have been deeply stirred to see a future where the rule of law would be established and the people enabled to flourish.
Kate Hames
Trustee
Kate has been a secondary school science teacher for 9 years, working in a range of schools. Her love of Zimbabwe was sparked when she visited the country with friends in 2015. She has since returned twice, staying up to 6 months for one of those visits. She volunteered at a local school and helped with a small charity seeking to support single mothers. In her time there she saw the beauty of Zimbabwe in both the people and the land. She also saw the heartbreaking impact that injustice in the political system is having on all people. Since then she has got involved in the Mike Campbell Foundation in various ways and loves the heart and work that they do.
Hayley Kemsley
Bookkeeper
Hayley is a Chartered Accountant with more than 25 years of experience in accountancy and bookkeeping. She spent the first 17 years of her career at an established accountancy practice where she managed a vast portfolio of clients, including several established charities. Together with her team, she handled all aspects of their internal accounting processes and compliance. Although Hayley’s current role within the MCF is primarily to undertake the bookkeeping and all other finance related tasks, she has increased her general involvement in the charity during the past three years. Hayley has previously travelled to several areas of Tanzania and Kenya and hopes one day to visit Zimbabwe to see for herself the crucial work that MCF undertakes.
General Lord Dannatt
Patron
General Lord Richard Dannatt was a soldier for forty years, concluding his military career as Chief of the General Staff – the professional head of the British Army. After retiring from active duty in 2009, he was Constable of the Tower of London until July 2016. In 2011 he became an independent member of the House of Lords. General Dannatt was made a CBE in 1996, awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in 1999, appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 2005, and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 2009. He is trustee of the service charity Help for Heroes, a patron of the war-zone charity, Hope and Homes for Children and patron of the Mike Campbell Foundation. I am honoured to be patron of the Mike Campbell Foundation as I strongly support the incredibly brave work being undertaken by Ben Freeth and all those involved with the Foundation in Zimbabwe. Their stand for upholding the law and civil rights is a beacon of hope in a country still beset by corruption and the misuse of power. Through the work of the Mike Campbell Foundation and other like-minded people, I hope and pray that better times will return soon to the people of Zimbabwe.
Sir Jeffrey Jowell KCMG KC - Ambassador
Sir Jeffrey is a practising barrister in Blackstone Chambers in London with a distinguished academic career. From 2010-2015 he was the inaugural Director of the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law. His practice continued during that time and he returned to full-time practice in October 2015. A leading authority on public law, Sir Jeffrey is Professor Emeritus of Public Law at University College London where he was Dean of the Law Faculty and a Vice Provost. In 2011, he was knighted “for services to human rights, democracy and the rule of law”. The scope of Sir Jeffrey’s work includes judicial review, human rights and other aspects of public and international law. He advises extensively on the drafting of national constitutions, the relationship between the UK and dependent territories, and the design and application of internal regulatory and Ombudsmen schemes. He regularly appears on these matters in the courts of Commonwealth countries as well as the Privy Council and the UK Supreme Court. He is a member of the Foreign Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Human Rights and is a trustee of various foundations in the UK and abroad.
Dr Craig Richardson Ambassador
Craig Richardson is BB&T Distinguished Professor of Economics at Winston-Salem State University, in Winston-Salem, NC, USA. His broad research interests include property rights and their importance for economic growth. He is the author of The Collapse of Zimbabwe in the Wake of the 2000-2003 Land Reforms (2004) as well as numerous articles on Zimbabwe that have been published in African Affairs, African Journal of Business and Economic Research, Cato Journal, Development Policy Outlook and The Wall Street Journal. He has been an invited speaker to many groups around the world on the subject, and also has consulted with the Peru-based Institute for Liberty and Democracy, working directly with economist Hernando de Soto on property rights issues. Comment: "I am deeply honored to help promote the mission of the Mike Campbell Foundation in promoting justice, rule of law and property rights, which I believe are the cornerstones for economic growth, individual prosperity and social progress."
Richard Oldfield Ambassador
Richard Oldfield is the founder of Oldfield Partners in London, a boutique investment management firm. He was Chairman of the Oxford University Investment Committee and of Oxford University Endowment Management Ltd from the latter’s inception in 2007 until 2014. He is a trustee of the Prince’s Trust and Amber Foundation. Richard holds a BA Hons in History from Oxford University. His book about investing, ‘Simple but not easy’, was published in 2007 (second edition Harriman House 2021). “I have been a fan of the Mike Campbell Foundation since it started, having seen a screening of Mugabe and the White African, and am delighted to be one of its ambassadors, to support human rights in Zimbabwe.”
Anthony Shillington Ambassador
Anthony read economics and politics at Trinity College, Dublin, after which he taught in a rural community in West Africa, as part of the Voluntary Service Overseas scheme. He then embarked on a career in industry with the international chemical and pharmaceutical companies ICI and Hoechst, and subsequently as Director of Corporate Communications at Redland PLC, then a FTSE 100 company. Since 1995, Anthony has been working in the charity sector, at Stowe School and The Stowe House Preservation Trust, The Awareness Foundation and in support of his local Citizens' Advice Bureau. Inspired by the documentary film, Mugabe and the White African, and the family’s quest for justice, he joined the MCF as a trustee.
Jenny Barraclough Ambassador
Jenny Barraclough OBE is a British film and television producer. Much of her work is in television documentaries and she was one of the first women television producers. Her film Gale is Dead was one of the first to draw attention to young homeless and drug addicts and contributed to the establishment of a House of Commons committee. Her film Women in Prison in 1972 was the first film to be shot in a women's prison in the UK. In the 1980s she made two films on Queen Elizabeth II and two on 10 Downing Street for BBC One. Jenny also produced films on the arts, including one on the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and a major series on the London Symphony Orchestra in 1986. Her films on AIDS helped promote understanding of the disease in its early days. Many films were on civil rights issues - on the legacy of Martin Luther King, Gandhi, international freedom movements, southern African liberation struggles and included two films on Robert Mugabe, before and after Zimbabwean independence. She continues to retain a close interest in Zimbabwe. She is involved in a number of trusts and charities including the Grierson Trust, LEPRA, the Razumovsky Ensemble and is an Ambassador of the Mike Campbell Foundation. Jenny was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s 2009 Birthday Honours.
Alastair Jackson
Ambassador
After qualifying as a solicitor, Alastair spent 40 years as a lawyer, first in private practice then in commerce and industry, spending more than 25 years in the health care and pharmaceutical industry, with responsibility for the provision of legal services primarily in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He retired in 2001. In 1995, Alastair visited Zimbabwe and came away with memories of a beautiful, resource-rich country which, after independence, seemed to have developed a harmonious balance between its various peoples. Appalled by the Mugabe regime’s destruction of the lives and livelihoods of so many people, without regard to basic human rights, and without recourse under the law, he joined the MCF as a Trustee and Secretary of the Foundation when it was formed in 2011. He retired at the end of December 2021 after a decade of unstinting commitment and is now a greatly valued Ambassador.