SINO-BRITISH FELLOWSHIP TRUST

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SINO-BRITISH FELLOWSHIP TRUST

In 1942, during World War 2, the Bishop of Hong Kong and South China, the Right Reverend R. O. Hall, travelled to Britain to plead for funds to help the Chinese peoples, who were suffering great misery and starvation following 6 years of war.

Sir Stafford Cripps, the Lord Privy Seal in the British Coalition Government, persuaded his wife Lady lsobel Cripps to lead an appeal for funds and Dr. Elizabeth Frankland Moore (whose name at that time was Mrs. Miller) became the organising Chief Executive.

A national appeal with the title of British United Aid to China (BUAC) was launched, and raised nearly 3 million pounds. This was used to provide relief across the war-torn land and a committee headed by the British Ambassador in China, Sir Horace Seymour, was set up to distribute the funds throughout the country.

In 1946, at the invitation of the Chinese Government, Lady Cripps and Dr. Elizabeth travelled to China and Hong Kong to see how the relief had been distributed, and how friendships formed in war could continue in peace-time. The visit lasted three months, totalled 30,000 miles and was completely non-political in keeping with the aims of BUAC, During their visit the ladies met both Mao Tse- Tung, Chou En-Lai, and Chu Teh and his wife Kang Kequin in Yenan, and Generalissimo and Madam Chiang Kai Shek in Chungking (Chongqing). Many of the cities in China were visited - Shanghai, Nanking, Beijing, Moukden and Chungking (the war-time capital) as well as vast numbers of small villages and townships.

In 1947, after taking advice from the Charity Commissioners, the British Council, various Government Departments and the Ministry of Education, it was decided to form the Sino-British Fellowship Trust, a private trust. The first meeting of the Trustees was held at 11 Downing Street, London, the home of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Lady Cripps became the first Chairman, with Dr. Elizabeth Frankland Moore as Honorary Chief Executive.

It was originally the intention that the Trust should be used to enable those Chinese scholars who had been stranded in London and were in financial difficulties to complete their studies so that they could return to China. It was hoped that those so trained in Britain would return home to guide and to teach and that, in this way, money available from the Trust would be used to the best possible advantage.

As a need for an on-going association with China had been established, it was also hoped to bring people from China to the United Kingdom for postgraduate work. In due course these aims were achieved and were then enlarged to facilitate travel by senior British postgraduate scholars to China so they could learn and share their skills.

Over the years more than 700 individual grants have been awarded. As well as individual grants, the Sino-British Fellowship Trust now also has links with many other specialist organisations, both in the United Kingdom and abroad, where grants are given to fund academic exchanges between the People's Republic of China, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. This has enabled the Trust to increase the number of scholars that can be reached.

Lady Cripps remained Chairman of the Trust for 30 years until 1977, when she retired because of ill-health. She was followed by Dr. Charles Frankland Moore until his death in 1982 when Dr. Elizabeth Frankland Moore took over the reins, a position she held until her death in August 1998 at the age of 96. The new Chairman is now Professor M.N. Naylor. Dr. Elizabeth's niece, Mrs. Anne Elizabeth Ely, a Trustee since 1985, is Deputy Chairman and Honorary Director. This continues the family commitment to the Trust which dates back to its origins in 1947 when Dr. Elizabeth became Honorary Chief Executive.

Registered Charity Number 313669

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