‘Sterling reference’ for Montanaro from UK drama school

Actor Alan Montanaro, who resigned as the president of his charity last week after the publication of an official rebuke by the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations, has been described as “a shining example to people in education wanting to ensure children are provided with the best possible opportunities to acquire the life-skills they will need on leaving school” by the Helen O’Grady academy in the United Kingdom.

Montanaro manages the school’s Maltese franchise.

The reference letter was sent to MaltaToday after this newspaper requested a comment on the CVO’s rebuke of Montanaro for using “cruel and offensive” language in a private conversation on the Cambodian children his charity Drama Outreach helps.

In an email sent by Helen O’Grady Academy’s national director Nigel Le Page to Montanaro with MaltaToday’s questions, the Maltese actor wrote back – with MaltaToday in copy – telling Le Page that he “may need a sterling reference from [Le Page] who knows my ethics and my standards and my honesty”. 

Le Page told MaltaToday the school was taking legal advice since the publication of the Montanaro report. “Whilst there are discussions still ongoing between relevant parties in Malta, we are not at liberty to comment on the articles published, or answer your questions,” Le Page said.

He however provided the newspaper with a recent letter he wrote to a person within the Helen O’Grady international network, stating a case for Montanaro to be utilised for training due to his experience. 

He said the Malta Helen O’Grady Academy was considered by many within their international network “as a shining example of what can be achieved by a person who is dedicated to the self-development of children and will go out of their way to review new opportunities to ensure as many children as possible are exposed to our programme, regardless of their social standing”.

“I could not speak more highly of Alan Montanaro with regard to operating the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy in Malta,” Le Page continues. “So much so that I have invited him to join our International training team to assist with visits and launches into other countries within our network.”

He also said Montanaro had strived to obtain funds for children from under-privileged backgrounds, either through sponsorship or EU funding. “Literally thousands of children in Malta have benefitted from attending classes run by Alan or his teachers over the last 12 years. I have been inspired by his efforts and expertise to help others, so much so that I invited Alan to assist with training fellow members of our international Helen O’Grady family in India, South Africa and Egypt.”

Montanaro this week apologised for the “insensitive comments” he made about Cambodian children his charity assisted, after MaltaToday published the CVO’s rebuke on comments he made in a Whatsapp chat calling the impoverished children “kidney donors” and “window-washers”.