From the age of 16 Phil’s goal was to work in international development. He achieved his ambition when he joined the World Bank in 1995. In February 2004 he became a member of the energy infrastructure team in Vietnam working in the Hanoi office.

Although the Trust cannot engage in the type of large-scale projects with which Phil was involved, a small amount of money can, with care, make a big difference. Therefore the Trust is interested in projects that: support long-term improvement in Vietnam in terms of poverty reduction, healthcare, education, the natural environment, and national infrastructure, and are of relatively small-scale, not easily addressed by other agencies such as the Vietnamese government, the World Bank and major charities.