Good Samaritan, A

Born in 1919, Cyril Handel Grant grew up in a close, loving family in Sparkbrook, Birmingham. But when a tragedy occurred at the age of eight, Cyril's life changed dramatically and he found comfort and hope in religion. As a young Free Church minister Cyril travelled to the United States shortly after the Second World War and witnessed the birth of a nation as leader of the free world. On returning to England with an American wife, Cyril and a fellow minister spent ten years in the industrial North, attempting to build up a chapel and its neglected congregation. After a world tour he returned to Bristol, where he had spent his teenage years, and set up the first branch of the Samaritans in the city. Cyril's story, covering a remarkable ten decades, is a triumph of hope and inspiration. His evident good humour and deep commitment to helping humanity shines through and today, in his mid-90s, Cyril continues to exude positivity and warmth. This is the story of a remarkable, yet modest man.