The History of Open Arms

After successfully directing Festival Manchester with Luis Palau in 2003, David and Rachel Gallagher were supported and encouraged by our co-Founders, Dr John and Rosemary Lancaster to realise their vision for medical outreach.

The seeds of this vision for medical team evangelism were developed through many years of service in ministry both overseas and at home. The results of their first medical outreach were truly amazing. The medical team treated more than 400 orphaned children for malaria, typhoid, upper respiratory infections, ringworm, and other infections. They were supplied with enough donated medical supplies that they were then able to leave the local doctor with enough to last over the course of the next year.

But as they came across the thousands of orphaned children living on the streets of Kenya, scavenging for their daily food, they started to provide a safe home for some of these children. This formed the beginning go of the Open Arms Village. Today, we have 38 children living in beautiful new homes, 16 to a home with Kenyan House parents.

We have also opened the Open Arms school so that we can give the children the very best education, empowering them to achieve their full potential.