Here a brief review of how we started.
The Society was formed in 1944 after a lunch between Arthur Loveday - who had been a Times correspondent in Chile - and H.E. Don Manuel Bianchi who suggested that since Chile had become an Ally in WW2 the best way to show the good relationship between the two countries would be to form The Anglo Chilean Society.
The Society was founded on January 19th at the Chilean Embassy in London and The 13th Earl Dundonald was elected Chairman – a descendant of the great Admiral Lord Cochrane. Lord Davidson GCVO CH CB presided over the drawing up of the constitution.
The Society later became a registered UK charity with the following aims:
* To advance the education of the people of Great Britain about Chile, its people, history, language, literature, institutions, folklore and culture, as well as its intellectual, artistic and economic life.
* To support charitable initiatives in Chile. To achieve this objective the Society organise lectures, concerts, film shows and a series of social functions to raise funds for its general purposes.
In 2008 the British Chilean Chamber of Commerce based in London merged with the Anglo Chilean Society bringing on board some new corporate members. This significantly contributed to raising funds for our charities and in sponsoring other events such as the society’s Chilean Mining Minister Conference.
Today the Executive Committee are also Trustees for the Alan Macdonald Endowment which supports bringing Chilean artistic talent to the UK. Alan Macdonald was, for many years, an active member of the Executive Committee before his untimely death in 2010.
Chairmen since 1944
13th Earl of Dundonald Thomas Cochrane Sir Harold Leslie Bowes Lord Aldenham Sir David Hildyard Mr Michael Cannon Mr John Hickman CMG Mr Roger Venables Prof John Fisher Mr Michael Ogilvie Davis Mr Julian Amey Mr Dick Wilkinson CMG Mr John Rickus
Mr Alasdair Grant VR
Some examples of our recent charitable work are grants to:
* Fundación Protesis 3D, a charity which provides artificial limbs created by 3D printing for injured children.
* Cruz Roja Calera, specifically for wheelchairs and walking aids for some 60 elderly residents of Calera under the care of the Cruz Roja branch there.
* The British Company of Bomberos in Santiago.
* To help two British students going to Chile every year to teach English in deprived areas under the auspices of Project Trust.
* CATIM, an organisation helping vulnerable children in Concepción. Funds are being used to equip a new home for 22 young people aged 14 to 16.
* Emergency wildfires appeal to help areas which were devastated in Central Chile.
* Two exhibitions at the Embassy, one celebrating the life and work of Lord Cochrane and the other marking the 50th anniversary of the Queen’s visit to Chile.
Recent Alan Macdonald Endowment Grants:
* Presentation cost of the newly published book, “Chilean Trees around the World”, supporting the UK visit of the author, Rodrigo Fernandez, including a lecture at the embassy.
* Support for the UK visit of Chilean poet, Elvira Hernandez, including a presentation and poetry reading at the Embassy.
* Musiko Musika for their Chilean Voices Festival in Hammersmith.
* Chilean post-graduate guitar student, Emmanuel Sowicz, who gave a guitar recital at the Embassy.
* Translation workshops for the Head for Heights Theatre Company, which specialises in Chilean plays
* Two grants for Chilean student groups at the University of Edinburgh and the University of St Andrews for Chilean themed seminars.
If you would like more information or the join the society please visit www.anglochileansociety.org
