In May 2005, the First Lady of East Timor, HE Kirsty Sword Gusmao arrived in Britain and gave the Ashby Lecture at Clare Hall, Cambridge University. She also visited Oxford University. She attended a lunch at the House of Lords given in her honour by Lord Avebury and The Dowager Viscountess Rothermere, and had tea with Mrs Cherie Booth Blair at 10 Downing Street. She spoke at a Human Rights Watch evening and was interviewed by the press and appeared on Sky television with Angela Rippon.

In September 2005, HRH The Princess Royal paid a two-day official visit to East Timor. She met Firsty Lady Kirsty Sword Gusmao at The Alola Foundation established by Kirsty in 2001 initially to raise awareness of and campaign against the violence inflicted on women in East Timor.

To forge the links that had been established between the UK and East Timor during the above events, Friends of the Alola Foundation (FAF), a UK charity was established in 2006. Our aims are to support The Alola Foundation in East Timor (Timor-Leste) in its educational and health programmes for women and children and raise awareness of the situation in East Timor in the UK.

Our board of trustees consists of the following people. Click on their names to see a biography, where available:

Lord Avebury

The Dowager Viscountess Rothermere

Mr Rodney Bickerstaffe

Lady Patricia Mirrlees, Chair

Miss Deborah Kwan, Secretary

Mr Nicholas Cliffe, Treasurer

Ms Hengi Bayat

(Secured Trustee webpage)

Visit to the House of Lords, 2005- Kirsty with 3 of the Board of Trustees: Lord Avebury, the Dowager Viscountess Rothermere and Lady Patricia Mirrlees