Rachel Bentley OBE, the humanitarian and co-founder of Children on the Edge charity, has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Education by the University of Chichester, in recognition of her work helping some of the world’s most vulnerable children.
In 1990, Rachel Bentley joined a group of volunteers led by Dame Anita Roddick, human rights activist and founder of The Body Shop, to support children living in appalling conditions in orphanages in the village of Hălăucești, Romania. Aged just 23, Rachel witnessed neglect and deprivation that inspired her to co-found the international children’s rights charity Children on the Edge with Dame Anita in 1992.
For more than three decades, Rachel has led the organisation with vision, compassion and unwavering integrity. As Chief Executive, she has championed innovative, community-led programmes that reach some of the world’s most marginalised children, including those affected by conflict, displacement, discrimination and extreme poverty. Under her leadership, Children on the Edge has developed sustainable models of education, protection and psychosocial support across countries including Uganda, Lebanon, Bangladesh and Myanmar. She was awarded an OBE in 2022 for services to vulnerable children.
She said: “I feel very honoured to receive this Doctorate. I am deeply proud that, across the globe, so many children who would otherwise lack access to education are now receiving a quality education through the work of Children on the Edge and their partners.”
Two standout examples of the work the charity is doing include classes for Rohingya children who fled genocide in Myanmar, located in Kutupalong, Bangladesh, the world’s largest refugee camp, and a cluster learning initiative in Uganda’s Kyaka refugee settlement, which delivers play-based early childhood education right to the doorsteps of children from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Lorna Earle, Senior Lecturer in Primary Education at the University of Chichester, said: “Rachel has led Children on the Edge with vision, compassion and integrity.
“Her work is attuned to the University’s mission not just in advancing knowledge and supporting global education, but in championing dignity and inclusion, and protecting children’s rights. What makes this connection all the more meaningful is that Children on the Edge is on the doorstep of our Bishop Otter campus. This is not just a global charity with local roots, it is our neighbour and collaborator and should be a source of inspiration to the University community.”
Reflecting on the advice she would give to Chichester’s students, Rachel said: “Believe in yourself and follow your heart. Make your life mean something. Paraphrasing Frederick Buechner’s words: ‘Find a path in life where your happiness meets the world’s great need’.
“And I hope to see a new generation that wants to tackle poverty and its causes, working with people on the margins to bring change that will pull them out of poverty.”