Celebrating Jackie for lighting the lamp of love for people with leprosy
Charlotte Walker, The Leprosy Mission Great Britain
A Welling fundraiser has been honoured for 60 years of remarkable service, transforming lives across the world.
Jackie Mackley took over the running of Lamplighters of Welling helped by her mother, the late Ruby Wiles, when she was just 14 years old. Over six decades, she has become known and loved by hundreds of young people who have attended the Lamplighters youth group at St John’s Church in Welling on Friday evenings.
The youth group has a rich history. Lamplighters was founded shortly after the Second World War to raise funds for The Leprosy Mission. Children collected donations in lamp-shaped boxes and wore badges bearing the motto, “To light the lamp of love for those with leprosy” — a call to action that remains as powerful today as it was in the late 1940s.
Jackie Mackley was honoured for 60 years of incredible service to Welling Lamplighters at St John’s Church on Sunday – World Leprosy Day 2026. She is pictured alongside her husband Keith Mackley who has helped her lead the group since 1974.
Jackie first joined Lamplighters in 1960 when she was just eight years old and took over leadership of the group in 1966. Her father, Jim Wiles, served as treasurer, making it a family commitment from the very beginning.
Lamplighters sessions traditionally begin with a game or craft activity followed by a talk about The Leprosy Mission’s life-changing work across Asia and Africa. Throughout the year, the group puts on nativity plays, musicals and even country dancing. The highlight of the calendar is the much-anticipated Lamplighters Christmas Fayre, held on the third Friday of November, which is always well attended.
Together with the congregation of St John’s Church, the Lamplighters have raised more than £110,000 to support people affected by leprosy — among the most marginalised communities in the world.
On Sunday morning, World Leprosy Day 2026, a special celebration was held at St John’s Church in Jackie’s honour. The service was led by Lesley South, a former Lamplighter group leader with Wendy Piccinini, Community Partnerships Manager for The Leprosy Mission, as guest speaker. Jackie and her husband Keith were presented with a giant card from colleagues at The Leprosy Mission’s Peterborough headquarters, thanking them for their extraordinary service.
Jackie says it was her experience running Lamplighters that inspired her to become a teacher. While she moved to Nottingham for teacher training, leadership of the group passed back to her mum Ruby, supported by volunteers from St John’s.
Jackie returned to Welling in 1974 with her husband Keith, and together they resumed leading Lamplighters, with Ruby and Jim continuing to support the group behind the scenes. Ruby and Jim also cared for Jackie and Keith’s young children, Miriam and James, on Friday evenings, enabling the couple to continue their voluntary work.
The family legacy has continued into a fourth generation. Jackie’s daughter Miriam welcomed her own daughter, Abigail, in 2012 — and Abigail is already a Lamplighter leader herself.
Reflecting on the milestone, Jackie said: “It is quite humbling to think of all the children and adults who have been part of raising more than £110,000 for people affected by leprosy. It is truly part of our family’s life – in fact we don’t know life without Lamplighters!
“As a six-year-old, I remember saying to Jesus, ‘Here I am, please send me to help people.’ I thought He would send me to a continent far away — but I stayed in Welling! God knew exactly how He wanted to use me. I became a Lamplighter at eight, a young leader at 14 with my dear mum’s support, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Wendy Piccinini said: “After the Second World War there were Lamplighter groups across the country, but as far as we know, Welling’s is the only one still running today — largely thanks to Jackie and her incredible family.
“Because leprosy is no longer an issue in the UK, many people assume it no longer exists. But nothing could be further from the truth. In parts of Asia and Africa it remains a deeply stigmatised and disabling disease. When communities affected by leprosy hear about Jackie and her family’s dedication, they are astonished by the kindness of people in the UK they have never met.
“It was wonderful to encourage the team at St John’s and to see a whole new generation of Lamplighters continuing this amazing legacy.”
Jackie and Keith Mackley are pictured with Jackie’s parents, the late Jim and Ruby Wiles, at a Lamplighters celebration in 1991.