Article from Page 8, The Wharf Newspaper, April 28, 2005 
Banker gave up job to help kids
Former manager back to launch art exhibition Picture: Ravinder and Tim Grandage looking at photos of Indian street kids (Pictur by Phil Stephenson) By RENATO CASTELLO When Tim Grandage gave up his high-paid job with HSBC in 1988 he never imagined it would bring him where he is today. "The hardest thing was making the decision to leave," said the 47-year-old, standing in the foyer of the bank's gleaming Canada Square headquarters, last Tuesday (April 26). "I'd come from a family that taught you that you went to school, then college, got a good job and didn't leave that until you got another good one." "But there were so many kids on the streets so I had to do something." It was 18 years ago that the self-confessed "hopeless banker" quit his job as a highly-paid branch manager in Calcutta to set up the charity Future Hope, dedicated to helping the city's street kids. The charity started with a group of children cramped into two frugal rooms but now looks after 200 children in five established homes and has a village, school and rugby team. It works directly with the children to offer them a safe haven, education, medical care, sports and cultural events. Now the bank that let him go is sponsoring a major fundrasing exhibition of more than 150 works of Indian and English artists in its headquarters until tomorrow, Friday, April 29. HSBC chairman Sir John Bond, Tate Britain director Dr Stephen Deucher and Tim opened the exhibition with a private auction last Tuesday (April 26). Voluntary project director Ravinder Kalsi, a fine art student at the Kent Institute of Fine Art, who helped to organise the event, said: "It's really exciting to see so many award winning artists joining hands to support Future Hope and display so many different works. "Tim has spent so many years living in very difficult circumstances and fighting the politics for the children, yet he's so humble and modest; he's amazing." The exhibition is curated by Nick Tidnam RAB (Royal British Artists), who is showing works along with representatives from the Royal Academy and the New English Arts Club. "We've tried to give a real prominence to the Indian artists; it's like holding hands across the water and providing a link between the cultures," Nick said. The exhibition is open each day from 10am to 6pm and all works are for sale. | 
