The project was born out of history. Olney’s most famous resident, John Newton, who wrote the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ was once a slave-trader. Newton in Sierra Leone was named after him. Olney church wrote a letter to the vicar of Newton in 1999 to explore this common background. This letter arrived in Sierra Leone at a time of horrific and terrible conflict in the country. After some months, letters were exchanged, and clothing, books and other gifts were sent from the people of Olney to the people of Newton. In June 2000, the Bishop of Freetown was able to visit Olney and then, in the summer of 2001 Rena Partridge, a lay minister at the Church of St Peter and Paul visited Newton. Following this, the Olney-Newton project began.
