Zomba Action Project tribute to John Dallat

In a statement from chair Wavell Moore, they said: “In 2001, during his tenure as Mayor of the Borough of Coleraine, John invited another Kilrea resident, Rev Dr Dick Gordon, a recently-returned Presbyterian missionary from Malawi, to attend the Mayoral Christmas dinner as a guest speaker.

“This was the first occasion when the city of Zomba was introduced to the local community in Coleraine and the needs of this comparable administration in one of the poorest countries of the world were made known. What followed was an initiative by the Council to formally link up with the local authority in Zomba to provide practical help and, subsequently, in 2003, the launch of the independent charity, Zomba Action Project, which continues to this very day.

“This could simply not have happened without the vision and passion of John Dallat and ever since, down the years, John and Anne have been strong supporters of aid projects in Malawi, raising funds and making visits there.

“John always had a passion for the underdog and saw that the poor people of Zomba were not blessed with many things which we regard as basic necessities. But

through John’s initial vision those people have continued to benefit over the past 17 years when over £850,000 has been raised for life-changing projects. “This continuing work is a fitting legacy to John.”