Rob & Paul Forkan

Rob and Paul Forkan are the founders of Gandy’s, a travel brand which sells a range of flip flops, bags, towels and shorts. The brothers use the profits from the shop to fund their charity, Orphans for Orphans, which builds houses and children’s campuses around the world.

The Forkans had a completely unique upbringing, with their parents taking them out of school as children to travel the world. Three years into their worldwide travelling and volunteering adventure, the brothers lost their parents in the Boxing Day tsunami in Sri Lanka. The tragedy inspired Rob and Paul to do something to honour the memory of their parents, and to keep exploring as they knew their parents would want. The Forkans embarked on a round-the-world trip that included carrying sketchbooks to dream up ideas for products they needed but couldn’t find. A few years later, these sketches became the basis for their business, Gandy’s. The lifestyle store donates 10% of its profits to the Orphans for Orphans charity, which the boys set up to support underprivileged children affected by the tsunami. In 2012 the Forkans were invited to share their story with the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry at the launch of the Queen’s Young Leaders Programme.

In 2014, the first orphans children’s home was opened in Sri Lanka, providing living facilities as well as community services such as academic support, sports and practical skills lessons. The brothers have gone on to open Gandy’s stores across London, create a collection of travel accessories and open more orphanages and centres around the globe. Their uniques story continues to inspire their work and the work of others.