Neil joined Variety in 1972 and was co-opted to the Film Premieres Committee and Variety at Work. From the late 70s he Chaired the Annual Dinner & Ball Committees and later the Events and Fundraising Committees. He was co-opted to the Crew in 1982 becoming a Trustee in 1984 and Chief Barker in 1991. Neil was co-founder of the PROPS, a major fundraiser associated with the property industry, which during his time as Chair raised over £11m and donated more than 2,000 wheelchairs. He was also a co-founder of The Gastronomic Dinner in London which ran for 20 years. Neil has been a key driver of the success of Variety UK for many decades.
Pamela has devoted 49 years of her life to Variety, initially on the Variety at Work Committee from 1975 and then in 1985, on the first occasion that Variety allowed women to become Barkers, she joined the Crew. Pamela was part of the original Appeals Committee for Variety’s groundbreaking Wheelchair campaign and was a founding member of Wheelchair Committee formed in the early 90’s, becoming co-chair in 1998 when she also appointed as a Trustee. Pamela continued to chair that Committee up until she became Chief Barker in 2016. Pamela remains active on the Wheelchair Committee having participated in the funding and donating of over {3,000} powered, specially adapted and parallel sports chairs.
Both Pamela and Neil served on the Variety International Board for many years