Girls together

Literacy is empowerment!

Your time, money, and books have a lifelong impact.

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Wide Will
The Issue

Improving literacy unlocks the potential of individuals, families, and businesses

A strong foundation in reading, writing, and comprehension is established in the early years and is essential to our overall quality of life. Research consistently shows that early childhood literacy sets the stage for lifelong learning and success. Children who develop strong literacy skills early on are more likely to thrive academically and socially, while those who fall behind face long-term challenges, including higher risks of unemployment and limited opportunities. Although the Cayman Islands currently report a strong overall literacy rate, sustained focus and effort in early childhood education is crucial to maintaining and improving this standard for future generations.

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Our Programmes

Learn about how LIFE's programmes support literacy across home, school and community.

Dad Daughter

Thrive by Five
Reading with Mr Chris 2

Paired Reading
Erin Website

Literacy Ladder
Book Giveaway TB5 launch January 2023 10

Community Education and Outreach

Board Members & Officers

LIFE is governed by a trustee and an independent board of directors. Our directors and officers come from diverse backgrounds and have a wealth of varied experience and expertise. They are united by their passion for literacy and their shared commitment to achieving LIFE’s mission.

Woody Foster
Woody Foster

Woody Foster

Chairman
Andrea Bryan
Andrea Bryan

Andrea Bryan

MBE - Director
Kevin Butler
Kevin Butler

Kevin Butler

Director
Anthony Cowell
Anthony Cowell

Anthony Cowell

Director
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Pauline McGettigan

Pauline McGettigan

Director
Paul img 3692 2
J. Paul Drake

J. Paul Drake

Director and Treasurer
Lynne headshot NOV2021
Lynne Byles

Lynne Byles

Director
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Sam Nehra

Sam Nehra

Director

Sponsors

Our LIFE Support! Thank you to all our founding and current sponsors for your kind generosity!

Woody Foster

Woody Foster

Chairman

Woody is the current Managing Director of Foster’s Food Fair Ltd (Foster’s). He is also an integral member of the Board of Directors for the Foster Group, which includes companies such as Car City, Progressive Distributors Ltd, Cico Avis Car Rental and Home Gas. Woody is also on the Board of Directors for Caribbean Utilities Company (CUC), Chairman of LIFE (Literacy Is For Everyone) Ltd, President of the Cayman Food Bank and a Director of R3 Foundation.

Woody is a Past President of Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise and a former Director of its Literacy Committee.

Andrea Bryan

Andrea Bryan

MBE - Director

Andrea qualified as a teacher in 1972 and has taught at Cayman Brac High School and Cayman Islands Middle School. After attaining an Advanced Diploma in Curriculum Development from the Cambridge Institute of Education (UK), she was appointed Deputy Principal, Cayman Islands Middle School.

In 1986, Andrea attained a Masters in Education Management and Administration from Bristol University (UK) and was appointed Deputy Chief Education Officer in the Cayman Islands Education Department. She was Chief Education Officer from 1989 to 1994.

In 1994, Andrea was appointed Permanent Secretary (Chief Officer) in the Cayman Islands Ministry of Health. She was awarded an MBE in 2002 for her extraordinary achievement and outstanding leadership as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health. She retired from the civil service in 2006. Andrea is a Past President of the Rotary Club Of Cayman Sunrise and a former Director of its Literacy Committee.

Kevin Butler

Kevin Butler

Director

Kevin was a partner and Head of the Cayman Islands office of off-shore law firm Conyers Dill & Pearman until his retirement in 2023. Kevin joined Conyers in Bermuda in 1997 and moved to the Cayman Islands in 2004. Kevin grew up in Canada and holds a BA in Economics from the University of Western Ontario (1987) and an LLB from the University of British Columbia (1993). Kevin has been admitted to the Bar as an Attorney-at-Law in British Columbia (1994, non-practising), Bermuda (1998) and the Cayman Islands (2004).

Kevin has a keen interest in literacy and education, having been raised by teachers (his mother and grandmother). He is the Vice President of the Cayman Islands Law Society and an Alternate Director of Cayman Finance. Kevin was formerly a member of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise.

Anthony Cowell

Anthony Cowell

Director

Anthony is a non-executive director, senior advisor, and impact investor. He was formerly a Global Lead Engagement Partner and Regional Head of Asset Management and Head of IMPACT for KPMG.

Anthony is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He was a Director of the CAIA Association, the global leader in alternative investment education and provider of the CAIA designation, the alternative industry benchmark.

An active member of his community, Anthony was formerly Head of Citizenship for KPMG in the Cayman Islands. In this role he led the launch of KPMG’s first cross-border CSR programme, the BRIGHT programme, which involved working alongside Childline International to help build capacity in their operations in Zambia. He is trustee of BecomingX, a global charity that works with the most inspiring and iconic people to help create a world where everyone can realise their potential, no matter what their starting point in life.

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Pauline McGettigan

Director

Pauline has 22 years' experience in primary school education as a classroom teacher, Head of Department, and Principal in both public and private schools in Ireland, Turks & Caicos, and the Cayman Islands. She holds a B.Ed in Education from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, and is passionate about literacy. She has lived in the Cayman Islands for over 30 years and is a former member of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise and a former Director of its Literacy Committee (2012-2013). She was instrumental in starting the first Reading Partner programmes in George Town Primary School & Sir John A. Cumber Primary School.

Pauline currently works in finance & administration at Crown Global Insurance. She continues to enjoy volunteering her time to help improve literacy in the Cayman Islands.

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J. Paul Drake

Director and Treasurer

Paul was the Managing Director of Genesis Trust & Corporate Services Ltd., a trust and corporate services company that has since become Highvern Cayman Limited. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in England in 1995 and worked for KPMG Cayman Islands from 1997 to 2004. In 2004, Paul orchestrated the management buyout of Genesis Trust (from KPMG) and subsequently transformed the firm into one of the largest independent trust companies in the Cayman Islands.

Paul is now a Director of Salt Technology Group Ltd which is an Azure Sack Hub Solution cloud provider. It manages Azure Stack cloud platforms in Bermuda, Jamaica, and Cayman, and provides its clients with technical management in related areas.

Paul has been involved with LIFE Ltd. since its incorporation in 2012. He is passionate about the importance of a good education and, having previously assisted teaching mathematics in a government school, he has experienced first-hand the challenges faced by teachers. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and is a member of the Cayman Islands Society of Professional Accountants.

Lynne headshot NOV2021

Lynne Byles

Director

Lynne is the founder, leader, and strategic brain behind Tower Marketing, a creative strategic communications agency in the Cayman Islands.

Although now leading a team of great talent, she remains hands-on with clients and there’s not much work that leaves the office without having had her savvy eye glance over it.

When she’s not knee-deep in client meetings, she helps drive Tower’s products and services, client relationships, and overall strategic direction.

She was the top UK performer in the Chartered Institute of Marketing Professional Exams, received her BSc (Hons) from Durham University, earned an MSc in HR Management, and has a post-graduate diploma in Marketing. She has been an account manager at a leading London agency working with big brands like Shell and the BBC, and was previously a publicity manager for the UK Department of Health, developing nationwide campaigns and publications.

Lynne is the former Chair of the Cayman Islands Marketing Professional’s Association (CIMPA) and also sits on the Executive Committee for Leadership Cayman.

When she’s not running this company, she’s running her other – a busy family of one husband, and three active boys. She likes sushi, clever ads, and has a special relationship with her iPhone.

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Sam Nehra

Director

Sam has lived in the Cayman Islands for over 20 years. She is a business leader and driver of results, with experience in food retail, banking, fund governance, insurance, media, broadcasting and fintech. Working both within businesses at the executive level, and consulting as a business coach, she brings discipline, empathy, and radical candor. Sam enjoys disrupting outdated models of thinking, all with a KPI of growth in mind.

Sam is an NLP Practitioner and Executive Coach, who understands how to get people moving in the right direction. She currently works as a Consultant, Business Coach and Change Agent as a fractional COO at her own company, Psyched HDC. She specialises in bringing vision and strategy to life through people and process. Sam is a proactive problem solver who works independently to identify and address complex business challenges and uses her track record of putting people at the center of everything. This has contributed to a thriving human-centered culture that makes amazing consumer-facing products. Sam inspires others to think big while zooming into the details.

Proving that she is a bold woman of vision, crazy ideas and dreams, Sam and her family headed off on a ‘Radical Sabbatical’ of laughter and learning in 2016, exploring Europe by ‘tin can/camper van’ and home schooling as she went.

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