Meet the Team: Stephen Daglish

This week's guest post is by Genealogists for Families team member Stephen Daglish from Buckinghamshire, England (United Kingdom).

Tell us a bit about yourself.

A love of music but a sad lack of talent led me into a career in the administrative side of the music industry, working in areas such as rights, repertoire and royalties. This has also given me an opportunity to travel extensively around the world. My interest in genealogy was inspired by my wife's cousin from New Zealand. He researched her family tree and eventually persuaded me to look at mine. Having reached a road block, I began a one-name study which looks at the history of the surname, worldwide. I am also Registrar of the Guild of One-Name Studies.

How did you hear about the Genealogists for Families project?

Through the LostCousins newsletter (an excellent read, and very informative).

What do lending and participating in this project mean to you?

I find this an excellent way to use our interest in family history to connect with people looking for opportunities who can inspire us with their vision for their families and future.

Did you choose particular borrowers because their occupations or situations have some significance in your family history or your own life?

My wife and I found that both our families moved to London in the Victorian era, setting up family businesses within a few streets of each other. We know that they needed help to set up and grow their businesses – so we tend to look for borrowers who may be working in similar trades.

Do you have a strategy for raising funds or saving for your $25 loans?

Not really. I started with one loan and when that was part paid back I added enough to make another. I have just made my third loan. I have also used a Kiva card as a gift - a nice way to get others involved.

Your Web site?

Daglish One-Name Study (www.one-name.org/profiles/daglish.html), which has links to the fledgling Dalgleish study.

Your main family history interests?

My time is mostly devoted to my one-name studies for DAGLISH and DALGLEISH. Having worked on the Daglish name for many years, DNA testing confirmed the suspected but until then unproven link to the Scottish Dalgleish, and this is proving a new and interesting challenge.
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Meet the Team: Julie Goucher

This week's guest post is by Genealogists for Families team member Julie Goucher from Devon, England.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I have a career in pharmacy management and a history degree. I live in the South West of England, but am originally from Surrey, where the vast majority of my ancestors are from, although I do have family links to several continents! I have been researching my family history since 1986. I am also a keen reader and love books, quilts and antiques.

What do lending and participating in this project mean to you?

Initially I wasn't sure. I wanted to support, but I wanted to do this with a genealogical link, almost a personal challenge or memorial. I do though believe that even in the very smallest of ways we can help others to make a difference to their lives.

Did you choose particular borrowers because their occupations or situations have some significance in your family history or your own life?

I made my first loan to commemorate the birthday of my late Grandmother. I chose a particular individual in Sierra Leone because he was looking after several family members, purely because they were his family which I thought was wonderful, and embracing of the ethos of this group. My Grandfather was stationed in Sierra Leone during the Second World War, so that was a nice additional link to the loan.

Do you have a strategy for raising funds or saving for your $25 loans?

No particular strategy. I am simply going to make monthly loans to commemorate specific events with my family and perhaps link in with specific locations. The July loan is likely to be in celebration of my Wedding Anniversary and probably an individual or two in Kenya as that is where I got married!

Web site or blog?

Anglers Rest (http://anglersrest.blogspot.com)

Your main family history interests?

My family links are deep in the Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire Borders of the UK and a fairly random link to Warwickshire. I also have family links to Canada, Australia, India and New Zealand - not to mention Sicily, as I am half Sicilian.
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Meet the Team: Gill Chesney-Green

This week's guest post is by Genealogists for Families team member Gill Chesney-Green from Nottingham in the United Kingdom.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm now retired from teaching drama in the UK and divide my time between living there and in Gibraltar. I do a little genealogy (not as much as before because the tree is pretty full now and I'm running out of information that is available until further records are transcribed), astrology, a little counselling, singing and playing guitar in Gibraltar (for fun not a career choice!) and dabbling in little 'crafty' activities as the mood takes me.

How did you hear about the Genealogists for Families project?

I've often found that life throws up a series of 'happy accidents'. I'd been doing some genealogy work and looking for links to mental health and genealogy. I stumbled upon the 'Wandering Genealogist' site and his forebear who ended up in an asylum. It was on his site that I found the Geneameme, which was interesting, so in an idle moment I filled in answers to the questions and sent it off to Geniaus. It was not very long before I received a reply from Judy Webster who'd noticed that my email contained a link to Kiva, and I was invited to join the team.

What do lending & participating in this project mean to you?

I've been a member of Kiva since 2006. I was initially drawn to them because I felt that the money I gave was going to do more good than any money I donated to charities that filtered money down to the recipients in a less targeted manner. Who would best know what a man or woman wanted and needed but they themselves? I liked that. Peer to peer lending... the person who knew what they needed to get them on their feet and an individual able to lend an amount of money to aid that need in being met. Back in those days one could donate any amount to any recipient and I loaned larger amounts than the $25 now suggested. Once I started, I was hooked, and constantly re-donated my money and added to it over time.

Did you choose particular borrowers because their occupations or situations have some significance in your family history or your own life?

The borrowers are not chosen for any other reason than that I like what they are trying to do. I don't concentrate on gender, geographical location or type of business particularly... although I remember being particularly drawn to one man from Palestine who was in such fear for his life that he had to remain anonymous. I couldn't imagine how risky this venture was for him and how 'near the edge' his life must have been. I donated to him because of his determination to better his life and that of his family in the face of such difficulties. Sometimes I just pick borrowers in order on the list, feeling that if they are there asking for help they don't particularly want me to make a judgement about whether they or someone else is more 'worthy' of the money I loan.

Was there a borrower whose success story inspired you?

In the early days of my association with Kiva, when the loans were fewer, I used to follow the progress of the entrepreneurs; but, to my shame, I don't any more. I'm happy to know that the recipients are able to fulfil some of their plans and that their lives and those of their families will be enriched. This is enough for me to know... that their lives are better than before and that, with continued effort, they will carry on getting better.

Do you have a strategy for raising funds or saving for your $25 loans?

Originally I'd earned some money, in addition to my teaching job, by doing some work for the BBC (writing their GCSE Drama revision pages on the BBC 'Bitesize' website). When I stumbled upon Kiva I felt that this was a good way to use some of this extra money in a sensible way that wasn't purely selfish. I used a good portion of this money for Kiva's benefit and over the years have added to it when I can. It'll never come back into my hands directly now. What I haven't had I don't miss.

What is your Web site?

Astrologica (www.astrologica.co.uk)

Family history interests?

The most interesting areas of my family history are the Swinnocks from Kent (in Maidstone from late 1500s) and Tebbs from Yorkshire (from where my family's mental health issues seem to emanate). I hope my children and grandchildren will carry on the search when I'm gone.
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