Advisory Panel

Our advisors provide a wealth of expertise and knowledge that informs and supports the work of the Clinic

The Advisory Panel of the Ras Morbat Eye Clinic

The Advisory Panel meets with the Bishop of the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf twice each year and provides advice and oversight to the Bishop on expenditure, equipment, building maintenance, staffing and related matters. They also advise on matters relating to ongoing training of the medical staff, and methods of treatment being offered at the clinic.

The Most Revd. Michael A O Lewis

Archbishop

Archbishop Michael was ordained in 1979 and served in various parishes and chaplaincy roles in the Church of England, eventually becoming Bishop of Middleton, Diocese of Manchester in 1999. He was enthroned as Bishop in Cyprus and the Gulf in November 2007. He took up additional duties as President Bishop and Primate of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East on November 17, 2019.

He also represents the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East on the Anglican Consultative Council and serves on the International Commission for Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue.

The Most Revd. Michael A O Lewis

Captain Roy Facey

Captain Roy Facey started his seagoing career in 1958 on cargo ships trading between the UK and the Far East, via Aden, and then worldwide. He holds a Certificate of Competency as Master Mariner, B.Eng (Cardiff) and M.Sc (Strathclyde). He is a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society and the Nautical Institute, and is a Member of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects.

He has worked in the Middle East and other parts of the world since 1983 with the UN, World Bank and other organisations. Between 1988 and 2011 he was based in Aden as the Chief Technical Adviser for the International Maritime Organisation. During these years he advised on port operations and the development of Aden and the main Yemeni ports.

Since leaving Aden he has worked on various port and shipping assignments worldwide, touring and reporting on five main ports in Africa in 2019 for the African Union Commission. He has compiled shipping and cargo statistics for Yemen since early 2018 for USAID, while coordinating closely with other aid organisations. His work is informed by the many contacts he has with Yemeni sources.

Captain Roy Facey

Mr. John Banfield

John Banfield holds a degree from St John’s College Cambridge. He joined Mobil Oil Corporation in 1969 and held positions in the UK, USA, Cyprus, the Netherlands and Germany. In 1996 he was appointed Vice President Mobil Europe and retired from Mobil in 2001. From 2002 to 2011 John was Non-Executive Director and Deputy Chairman of a UK National Health Service Trust and from 2009 to 2019 Chairman of Governors at Box Hill School, an independent school near London.

In 2007 John was co-opted on to the Standing and Finance Committee of the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf and subsequently appointed Honorary Director of Finance. In 2011 he was appointed honorary Lay Canon of St Christopher’s Cathedral in Bahrain.

Mr. John Banfield

The Ven. Christopher Futcher

Archdeacon

Christopher Futcher was born in Bedfordshire and grew up in Surrey. He read theology at Edinburgh University and prepared for ordination at Westcott House, Cambridge. He has further theology degrees from Heythrop College and King’s College London, both in the University of London.

He was ordained in 1982 and served in a variety of parochial appointments in Hertfordshire.

After 30 years in St Albans Diocese he moved in 2012 to Devon to be the Archdeacon of Exeter, where he was also for a time the Diocesan Ecumenical Officer. Among many varied responsibilities he was Warden of Readers and had oversight of the diocesan overseas links.

In September 2019 Christopher was appointed as Archdeacon in Cyprus and parish priest of St Helena’s Larnaca.

The Ven. Christopher Futcher

Mr. Stefan Poldervaart

Stefan Poldervaart is an entrepreneur and has a company in furniture-making He lived with his family in Yemen from 2016 until 2020. Two years of those years they were closely in involved in the work of Christ Church. Joke his wife helped in the clinics and Stefan was helping with maintenance and helped build the vocational training centre in Christ Church

At the moment Joke and Stefan are based in The Netherlands. In 2013 Stefan joined the Advisory Panel – Stefan was involved in founding the Advisory Panel. After he left Aden, he traveled several times to Yemen for the Advisory Panel.

Mr. Stefan Poldervaart

Ven Dr Bill Schwartz, OBE

Archdeacon

Archdeacon Bill has lived in various countries of the Middle East for more than 45 years. For the last ten years he has served as the principle advocate and link person outside Yemen for the running of the Ras Morbat Clinic, acquisition of equipment and supplies, and generally advising the local administrator in all things pertaining to the operation of the clinic. For the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf he serves as Archdeacon in the Gulf and Dean of St Christopher’s Cathedral.

He was closely involved in the establishment of the Ras Morbat clinic and has been a member of its Council of Reference since this was established in 2008.

The Ven. Bill Schwartz, OBE

Mr. John Richards, OBE

During his professional career, John Richards was a member of the International staff of HSBC serving in countries all over the Middle and Far East. His last three roles were in Iran, Egypt and Saudi Arabia where he served as Executive Director and COO of the Saudi British Bank.

On returning to England, he was elected as a District Councillor at Wycombe District Council and has been involved in a number of Christian charities involved in humanitarian aid.

Mr. John Richards, OBE

Mr. Michael Davies

Mike Davies is a family doctor based in the UK with many year’s experience in medical education, training doctors both at home and abroad. He currently works for the Royal College of General Practitioners based in London with particular responsibility for assessing applications from doctors in other countries who wish to come to the UK to work.

He has also worked for the medical education charity, Partnerships in International Medical Education (PRIME) for over 20 years, most recently this work has been concentrated on supporting medical education in Egypt and the Middle East.

Dr. Michael Davies

Mr. Edwin Martin

Edwin Martin has been involved with the Ras Morbat clinics in Aden since 2005 dealing mainly with training and quality maintenance issues.

His previous work included being a member of council, member of the central General Management Committee, International Committee and examiner for the MRCGP qualification at the Royal college of General practitioners and was also the news editor of the British Journal of General Practice.

Edwin was 4 years the Malta/RCGP fellow acting as the external academic member of the committee for the development of the Malta College of Family Practice in Valetta Malta serving Maltese doctors all over the world, was the Desk Holder for the Middle East of Partnerships in International Medical Education (PRIME), and has led projects in Egypt, Djibouti, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Uganda.

Dr. Edwin Martin

Dr. John Sandford-Smith

Archdeacon

Dr. John Sandford-Smith is a retired consultant ophthalmologist who has worked in the past for many years in developing countries.

He has visited the Ras Morbat Eye Clinic regularly from 2000 to 2016, when the Civil War made it impossible.

Dr John Sandford-Smith

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Advisory Panel

The Advisory Panel of the Ras Morbat Eye Clinic

The Most Revd. Michael A O Lewis

Archbishop

The Most Revd. Michael A O Lewis

Captain Roy Facey

Captain Roy Facey

Mr. John Banfield

Mr. John Banfield

The Ven. Christopher Futcher

Archdeacon

The Ven. Christopher Futcher

Mr. Stefan Poldervaart

Mr. Stefan Poldervaart

Ven Dr Bill Schwartz, OBE

Archdeacon

The Ven. Bill Schwartz, OBE

Mr. John Richards, OBE

Mr. John Richards, OBE

Mr. Michael Davies

Dr. Michael Davies

Mr. Edwin Martin

Dr. Edwin Martin

Dr. John Sandford-Smith

Archdeacon

Dr John Sandford-Smith

no one becomes poor by giving

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