Andrea Barnes
Chair of Trustees
Andrea chairs Big Love's board, drawing on a career in education and music. Outside of that, she's a dog walker, a fiction writer, an electronic music-maker, and, slowly, a Romanian speaker.
)%404x.png)
In 2019, Big Love began with a simple belief: when people come together, practical action can challenge injustice and help communities meet real needs. Since then, that belief has taken shape in kitchens, classrooms, cow sheds and football pitches across Essex and Romania. This is the story of where it began, and what becomes possible when communities work together for lasting change.
It started with a dad and his son. Stu Alleway joined his local church on one of its regular trips to Romania, taking his son with him because he thought it would be a good experience for them to share. There was no plan to start a charity, no five-year strategy, just a few days away together.
But what they saw stayed with them. Just three hours on a plane from home, they met children and families facing a kind of hardship they hadn’t encountered before: children searching through bins and skips, homes without proper roofs, everyday life looking very different from their own. They also met Outstretched Hands, a local team already there, serving their communities day after day.
It took weeks to process what they had seen. But somewhere in those weeks, a thought began to grow: maybe this wasn’t something to simply see and then move on from.
The following year, Stu went back with his wife, Emm, and their family. Then others started coming too: friends, schools, churches and businesses, each bringing what they could, a skill, some time, an idea, a pair of willing hands. Nobody had to do everything. They could simply play their part. Slowly, all those small acts became Big Love.
That same sense of responsibility eventually led back to Essex, where children are navigating confidence and wellbeing, schools are carrying increasing pressure, and people are finding their way through addiction, isolation and difficult seasons of life. The circumstances were different, but the belief was the same: when you care about people, you find ways to show up.
For the first few years, Stu led Big Love alongside other work. In November 2023, that changed. He stepped into leading the charity full-time, unpaid, following something that had started with one trip and grown far beyond anything Stu and Emm had imagined.
"For years, Stu and Emm poured into their own community in England. Now that same spirit drives Big Love's partnership with Outstretched Hands, standing with the poor and forgotten in Romania."
Brad and Nora Hayes, Founding Directors of Outstretched Hands Romania
"Stu is a gifted leader who has a passion for the community and a great track record in pioneering new community projects. I highly recommend him."
Debra Green OBE, Founding Director of Redeeming Our Communities
Integrity and transparency shape every decision we make. Meet those who carry that responsibility, alongside a team working for lasting change.
Stu leads Big Love without taking a salary from the charity, so that every pound given to Big Love can go straight to the work: children, education and hope, wherever it's needed most.
Personal support through Stewardship gives him the freedom to lead, serve, build relationships and help new ideas become something real. It also enables him to provide for his family and meet the everyday costs of life.
I believe meaningful change happens when people choose to carry something together. Big Love has always been shaped by shared commitment, practical support and generosity. Support through Stewardship enables me to keep giving my time to this work, and I’m genuinely grateful to everyone who chooses to be part of it.
Stu Alleway
This takes you to Stewardship, a separate giving platform, to set up a one-off or regular gift directly to Stu.
Whether you're ready to give, want to stay in touch, or have a question, there's a place for you here.
%404x.png)
