Scottish Charity Number: SCO36069
 

If you shoot for the moon and miss you'll still be one of the stars

Inspired by the life of Hazel Scott Aiton, Hazel's Footprints Trust exists to support project, partner schools and people in education in developing countries.

Donate

Scottish Trust Supporting Education and Development Projects

Scottish Charity Number: SCO36069

Hazel’s Footprints Trust is based in the Scottish Borders and has a vision to support education in developing countries across the globe. We do this in a number of ways:

The Trust is entirely staffed by volunteers and we have close-to-zero central costs. Every penny of donations given to us since 2004 has been spent on schools and educational projects in developing countries, whether by project grants or support for volunteers.

Hazel’s Footprints Trust was set up in 2004
in memory of Hazel Scott Aiton


Hazel Scott Aiton’s tragic death in August 2004 left an unfillable hole in the lives of all who knew her. Her family, with the support of her friends, were inspired by her positivity and charitable work. They wanted to continue in her footsteps, and Hazel’s Footprints Trust was born.

What We do:

Our work spans three core areas – educational project grants, volunteer grants and partner schools

 

Latest News

 

Gap Kenya: 21 children move from the Joseph Centre into school

7th November 2026
In November 2025, the Trustees agreed a grant of £4,500 a year for two years to Gap Kenya, with a possible third year to be considered at the end of…
 

Irene and Junior: training two teachers at Brightlingsea Academy, Kumasi

7th November 2026

In December 2025, Hazel’s Footprints Trust gave £2,326 to Porridge and Pens Ghana through the Big Give Christmas Challenge, where our donation was match funded. The grant pays for the…

 

A new school for Oromia: we are funding the student block

4th November 2026

In September 2025, Hazel’s Footprints Trust paid a grant of £8,172 to the Workneh Dechasa Education Foundation (WDEF), a small London-based charity building a new primary school in Oromia, Ethiopia.…

 

"The word I keep coming back to is gratitude": Robyn Youens returns from Senegal

9th September 2026

Robyn Youens, a Footprinter Grant recipient, has returned home after seven months volunteering with Project Trust in Senegal, and starts her medical degree this autumn. She wrote to the Trustees…

 

Otjikondo in 2026: our annual grant, a trustee visit and a busy second term

8th September 2026

Otjikondo is where Hazel’s Footprints began. Hazel spent her gap year at Otjikondo School Village in Namibia’s Kunene region, and the Trust has made an annual grant to the school…

 

511 books and a library to put them in: a new partnership in The Gambia

28th August 2026

At our May 2026 meeting the Trustees agreed a grant of £3,000 to Building Futures in The Gambia (BFiG) to build a library at BFiG Busumbala Nursery School. It is…

 

Fifteen laptops and a lost fear of computers at Door of Hope, Guatemala

19th August 2026

In November 2025, Hazel’s Footprints Trust agreed a grant of £5,600 to Street Kids Direct for computers at the Door of Hope (Puerta de Esperanza) centre in Guatemala City. This…

 

Kidogo Kids: the two Eunices, and a fourth and final year of support

25th July 2026

In 2023, Hazel’s Footprints Trust made a grant of £3,600 to Kidogo Kids, which supports disadvantaged children in the slums of Nairobi, to pay the salaries of the school’s head…

 

"They completely stole my heart": Georgina Graham's year of teaching in Honduras

15th July 2026

Georgina Graham, a Footprinter Grant recipient, has completed her year volunteering with Project Trust in Honduras. Here is her final report on what teaching was really like. Not the year…

 

Footprinter Georgina Graham is half-way through her Honduras volunteering year

20th April 2026

Georgina Graham, a Footprinter Grant recipient, shares her reflections at the half-way point in her year of volunteering with Project Trust in Honduras. Okay, so a lot has happened since…

 
Hazel's Footprints Trust - Hazel's gap year at Otjikondo School

Hazel’s Journal
A Gap in the Life is a collection of entries from Hazel’s journal


Hazel spent a year working as a volunteer in Namibia at Otjikondo Primary School. The experience of a gap year was life-changing for her, as it is for so many young people. Hazel had always kept a journal, and her entries from her Gap Year are entertaining, thought-provoking and inspiring. Her parents decided to publish her journal – “A Gap in the Life” – to raise money for the Trust.

Anyone who’s ever taken a gap year, or plans to, or has a family member who’s considering it, will find this book utterly invaluable!

Hazel's Footprints Trust donations

It’s easy to donate to Hazel’s Footprints Trust. Your donation will go to intersting and impactful educational projects in developing countries, or to support a volunteer at a school in need.

Brightlingsea Academy Hazel's Footprints Badge

About Hazel’s Footprints Trust


Hazel’s Footprints Trust was incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee on 9th November 2004, company number SC 275793.

The Company is a registered charity number SCO 36069.

The Trustees who are also directors for the purposes of company law are:

  • Bill Scott Aiton
  • Joan Scott Aiton
  • Joanna Scott Aiton
  • Lucy Costain
  • Christopher Hildyard
  • Rachael Hill
  • David Mortimer
  • Ben Newman
  • Ruth Sutherland Knibbs

Follow the Journey

Hazel’s Footprints Instagram

© Hazel's Footprints Trust 2026 | Scottish Charity Number: SCO36069
Web design by Creatomatic
This site uses cookies.
ConfigureHide Options
 
Read our privacy policy

This site uses cookies for marketing, personalisation, and analysis purposes. You can opt out of this at any time or view our full privacy policy for more information.