Philip and Bev Holmes founded Pipal Tree in January 2015 after eight years living and working in Nepal.

Initially focused on supporting children, the charity’s work has since expanded to include women and girls, disability, disaster preparedness, education, skills training, and, since 2020, the environment.

Philip’s love for the natural world began in rural Northern Ireland, where as a child he explored forests, moors, and fields, nurturing an early passion for wildlife (and trees!).

However, growing up amid a divided society marked by religious and nationalistic tensions, he developed a deep disdain for prejudice.

This personal experience shapes his commitment to breaking down barriers, including those still present in south Nepal. He believes that everyone – and especially children – deserves an equal chance to thrive and fulfil their potential for the good of society.

Philip’s other great passion is Nepal, a country he has been committed to since 1999.

After the tragic suicide of his first wife, Esther Benjamins, in January of that year, he left his career as a British Army dental officer to establish The Esther Benjamins Trust, supporting vulnerable Nepalese children. His early work involved rescuing innocent children from Nepalese jails, before leading efforts that shut down two cross-border child trafficking routes – including the major trafficking of girls into slavery in abusive Indian circuses.

Philip sees this remarkable achievement as his enduring memorial to Esther. Today, he reflects on the lives and prospects of up to 1,000 children freed from prisons, circuses, and the streets in her name – many of whom still refer to him as ‘Philip Daddy’.

He has combined all of these activities with raising tens of thousands of pounds for Pipal Tree. Philip wrote his acclaimed memoir, ‘Gates of Bronze’, in 2019. He was appointed OBE in the 2024 New Year’s Honours List in recognition of 23 years’ service to vulnerable people in Nepal. Philip is a practising. Christian, although Pipal Tree is a secular charity.

Bev moved into charity work after a 20-year career in television production, where she worked her way up from researcher to producer on a wide variety of programmes. Among her favourites were a travel series for Sky TV—which took her from New England to the Seychelles, Hong Kong and beyond—and Challenge Anneka, the BBC’s prime-time factual entertainment series that helped charities deliver incredible projects against the clock.

Her passion for supporting children who had faced a challenging start in life grew when she and Philip moved to Nepal to live and work. There, she delighted in creating activities for the children, from art and cooking sessions to building a library of storybooks and organising imaginative outings—such as a trip to the local airport where they saw the inside of a plane for the very first time. Along the way, she also acquired a strong command of the Nepali language.

Beyond her commitment to children and Nepal, Bev’s passions include the creative arts, animal welfare, travel as a way of understanding other cultures, and long-distance running.