The Profile

It was a marathon that began Mike Dickson's journey into giving and launched him into starting one of the UK's most unique charities.

Back in the nineties Dickson was running to raise money for a child who he had met who had cerebral palsy and had limited mobility. He was inspired to do something for her and any money raised from sponsorship would go towards a motorized wheelchair.

They made £9 but after the race, Dickson wanted to do more. He founded Whizz-Kidz, which provides mobility equipment for disabled children. 35 years later is it now the largest UK supplier of paediatric mobility aids outside of the NHS.

Dickson is also the founder of Rainmakers, which finds philanthropists and marries them up with charities that need financial support and of which Desmond Tutu was a patron.

The subject of giving is close to Dickson's heart and he is the author of Our Generous Gene and more recently How to Be a Better Human.

On this episode of The Profile he talks through his work's life, it's up and downs and why he thinks we are more blessed when we give than when we receive.

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Andy Peck catches up with his first ever guest 20 years later. He’s still leading Church Without Walls as part of Eleos Ministries. They talk of the loss of his wife, being a single parent and the place of mercy ministries for the church today? What would he say to a young leader starting out?
The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

Andy Peck is joined by Wayne Dixon, from Christian Connections in Schools, working with pupils and staff in schools in Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead. They talk about what is concerning young people today and how to best connect. What changes has he noticed since he began working with young people 40 years ago? Has he noticed an upturn in interest in Christianity?
The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

Andy Peck talks with Jenny Pillar and Rich Gower, who are involved in a new venture, ‘Counselling Carers’, which has as its strapline: improving the lives of the most vulnerable by caring for their carers. He asks Jenny Pillar, founder and clinical director about her vision for the work and Rich Gower, the managing director, about the options he faced when looking to structure the work to be sustainable. How can we develop our visionary ideas to serve others?
The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Check out the latest offers at premierchristianity.com

American missionary Heidi Baker says she's been preaching God's word for 50 years but 1995 was the year when life changed and she answered the call to go to Mozambique. She has been there ever since. Through her humanitarian organisation Iris Global she has been serving some of the most poor in the region whether that was helping families in crisis, caring for orphans or being a vessel of healing for those with real debilitating illnesses through God's grace. Her work has put her and her family in the cross hairs of ISIS militants and she has had to make difficult decisions about the safety of those closest to her. However, through all that she has found a way to minister to those in her community and found a way to love her enemies. In this powerful interview Heidi talks about her decades of dedication to God, her hope and happiness for the future of the quiet revolution, her pride in her own university work and God's unfailing Grace. The Profile is brought to you by Premier Christianity Magazine, the UK’s leading Christian magazine. Through our publication, you’ll access thought-provoking Christian content, including the latest news, inspiring interviews, and exclusive commentary. Take advantage of our latest HALF PRICE offer plus full digital access to our website and back issues. Enrich your faith journey and subscribe today at premierchristianity.com/subscribe.