106:
In 2006, Cooke founded Teams4U, an international humanitarian aid charity based in
Wrexham who take volunteers overseas to facilitate health, education, training and empowerment programs in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. In 2013, Teams4U launched its own national shoebox program bringing Christmas
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In
October 1990, Cooke was having a meal with a good friend John Roberts and suggested they take a truck to Romania with aid for the orphans there. The news had recently broken of Ceausescu orphanages and the images of the children were appearing on television. He rounded up his friends John Roberts
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From 1990 to 1995, Operation
Christmas Child grew exponentially, delivering shoeboxes to Belarus, Bosnia and Romania. In 1995, negotiations started with the American International charity Samaritan's Purse who had the means of taking OCC global and the charities were merged. Cooke continued to work
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for
Samaritan's Purse until 2006, in various roles as HIV advocate in Africa, international child advocate and an international projects manager developing the "Second Chance" programme which involved going into prisons and reaching out to juveniles and young adults through empowerment and sports.
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In 1981, Cooke had his own kitchen design and fitting business which failed in less than two years. He then went on to establish a window installation company which grew nationally and was bought out in 1986. From 1986, Cooke worked as a contracts manager for
Rowcroft Windows until 1995, when he
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and Dai Hughes alongside his brother Paul Cooke to help. Operation
Christmas Child hit the headlines and snowballed in a matter of months. In December 1990, a convoy of 9 trucks departed Wrexham through a crowd of support with a marching band, heading for Romania with over £600,000 of aid.
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He attended Hoole
Secondary Modern but left at the age of 14 with no qualifications and several brushes with the law. Mr Fox, his headteacher at the time, said "Cooke, you will never achieve anything with your life."
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Cooke was born in
Chester, the second child of John and Ruth Cooke. His father worked in sales and his mother ran the household. He was brought up in the
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67:) in 1990 and developed, then worked for, the biggest shoebox programme in the world.
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became a
Projects Manager and Children's Advocate for Samaritan's Purse.
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141:"UK – Wales – North East Wales – Xmas charity man's new challenge"
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Cooke trained to be a joiner and had his own glazing company.
552:"Founder of T4U receives honorary doctorate from Salford Uni"
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Nominated for the St David's Award 2016 for Charitable Work
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Cooke founded the charity Operation Christmas Child (now
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Awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Salford University
200:. Carlisle: Paternoster Publishing. pp. 46–47.
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453:. Carlisle: Paternoster Publishing. p. 88.
400:"First EVER Christmas Shoebox Distribution 1990"
325:. Carlisle: Paternoster Publishing. p. 14.
300:. Carlisle: Paternoster Publishing. p. 53.
275:. Carlisle: Paternoster Publishing. p. 54.
250:. Carlisle: Paternoster Publishing. p. 48.
225:. Carlisle: Paternoster Publishing. p. 49.
56:(born c. 1954) is the founder of two charities:
500:"Operation Shoebox creator's new mercy mission"
107:gifts to deprived children in Eastern Europe.
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167:"History of Operation Christmas Child 1990"
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351:Operation Christmas Child True Beginnings
422:"The shoebox charity that changed lives"
451:Love in a Box Operation Christmas Child
323:Love in a Box Operation Christmas Child
298:Love in a box Operation Christmas Child
273:Love in a Box Operation Christmas Child
248:Love in a box Operation Christmas Child
223:Love in a Box Operation Christmas Child
198:Love in a Box Operation Christmas Child
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353:. The Book Publishing Academy.
16:British businessman (born 1954)
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526:"Dave Cooke Charity Founder"
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402:. YouTube. 3 December 2015
58:Operation Christmas Child
449:Carswell, Emma (2001).
321:Carswell, Emma (2001).
296:Carswell, Emma (2001).
271:Carswell, Emma (2001).
246:Carswell, Emma (2001).
221:Carswell, Emma (2001).
196:Carswell, Emma (2001).
594:British businesspeople
604:Founders of charities
349:Hughes, Dai (2015).
177:on 28 September 2018
532:on 18 February 2016
599:British Christians
506:. 15 November 2013
77:Exclusive Brethren
65:Samaritan's Purse
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584:1950s births
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475:"Our Story"
71:Early years
578:Categories
536:4 February
510:4 February
504:The Leader
484:4 February
434:4 February
427:The Leader
406:4 February
384:4 February
379:Soundcloud
181:4 February
151:7 December
124:References
54:Dave Cooke
44:Occupation
25:Dave Cooke
38:, England
562:16 April
145:BBC News
556:Teams4u
479:Teams4U
36:Chester
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111:Awards
564:2019
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183:2016
153:2014
31:Born
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