The Childrens Trust
Tadworth Court

UPDATE

Since to this article in our January 1997 issue of The Windscreen the Children's Trust have expanded and upgraded their facilities, and we are happy to add this latest update on their progress (April 2000):

The Children's Trust is a Surrey based charity which cares, educates and rehabilitated children with profound disabilities and complex medical needs. The children in our care, over 80 at any one time, may have been born with a disability or become disabled through an accident, such as a road accident, or through an illness such as meningitis.

The Hand of Hope Appeal was launched in November 1995 to raise money to expand and upgrade our facilities. In Spring 2000 we reached £4 million. This has allowed us to build three new children's houses which allow children to be cared for in a warm and homely environment, where they are children first and their disability is secondary.

The situation has changed so that we are not no longer turning children away at a rate of one per week - that used to be true. We also have 80 children at any one time.

As a reasonably new recruit to Southern, I have often wondered exactly what Tadworth Court is, and why Southern has chosen this particular charity to support. I thought that other club members might be interested too:

The Children's Trust

This is situated at Tadworth Court in Tadworth - just down the road from the Heathside Hotel. It is a highly specialised organisation providing essential nursing care, treatment and education to children with profound disabilities and terminal diseases from all over the UK and occasionally from around the world.

Its services are:

• Rehabilitation for head-injured children,
• Residential special education in St Margaret's School,
• Residential, outreach (in the family) and hospice care.

Nine in ten of the children cared for in the rehabilitation unit are the victims of road traffic accidents (hence the link to Southern). Others have been affected by illness or other accidents such as falling out of a window. One minute they are healthy and active, the next they can be at Tadworth Court sometimes unable to speak, walk or eat.

The Rehabilitation Unit has pioneered an intensive approach to each child's needs called 'The Interdisciplinary Approach'. This involves teams of up to 20 professions such as physiotherapists, teachers, psychologists, nurse therapists, occupational, speech, recreational and play therapists, planning and working on the child's rehabilitation together. Programmes generally take between 3 and 18 months.

The Hand of Hope Appeal

This is a capital fundraising appeal to raise £5.5 million to upgrade and enhance facilities. The Children's Trust currently provides nursing, therapy and education for 70 children with profound disabilities. Most of them have complex medical needs. Another important group of children is those on the Rehabilitation Unit for children with head injuries.

The Trust has already grown since 1984 when there were just 30 children. Now, sadly, it is turning children away at the rate of one per week because it has run out of room to look after them. The plan is to upgrade existing facilities for the benefit of children currently at the Trust and to expand accommodation and resources to bring in an additional 30 children.

Inspired to help?

I hope this has helped you to understand why Southern supports the Children's Trust. As well as supporting it through club activities, members can of course raise money on their own behalf. The fundraising contact number for more information is 01737-357171.

Volunteers are also welcome for a wide range of activities - from driving the bus/trailer and taking children swimming, to delivering the Trust's newsletter.