HISTORY OF: LEONARD CHESHIRE
Leonard Cheshire is a worldwide disabled charity. They help 21,000 disabled folks in the UK alone and are actually the leading disabled supplier in the country. Kicking off our new feature where we look at the history and backgrounds of well established disabled organization we find out how Leonard Cheshire grew from its routes in 1948 to its popularity and reputation it has today. Granted this sounds like a boring history lesson and by now you are thinking of visiting a lower grade disabled Internet site, but it's January and there's sod all else to talk about. So, for once pay attention at the back, stop picking your nose and learn something!
Captains are normally associated with ships or football teams. Granted, Captain Sensible was an 80's pop singer and Captain Birdseye has been selling his Fish Fingers for as long as we can remember. Our concentration for this history lesson however focuses on Captain Lord Cheshire and its war time! Cheshire had earned himself the title of a 'War Hero' and was just ending work on a community product he had been involved in with ex servicemen and women. Living alone in a Hampshire mansion there was plenty of room and probably hours to occupy and fill. This time was soon to be taken up however when news reached Cheshire that one member of the community was terminally ill and couldn't look after himself. Being a kind sensitive chap Cheshire gave the fella a roof over his head and looked after him. News of this generous gesture spread and Cheshire soon began finding himself being asked for help and advice. Over the years Cheshire found himself at the center of a worldwide organization and service for disabled people.
Now Christened, Cheshire Homes by 1955 there were five houses in the UK inspired by the Captains remarkable work. Cornwall and Kent were the second and third locations, but the interest started to widen worldwide and the first ivies project started to take place in Mumbai. Which is just outside India, in case you were wondering. Each home and project saw local communities coming to seek help in starting up a service and then moving into any suitable accommodation so they could start their own fundraising ideas and projects.
Today there are over 250 Leonard Cheshire services in the UK and 55 worldwide. As you can probably gather this Leonard guy was quite a person. So, if you aren't bored yet lets find out some more info about the geezer..
Geoffrey and Primrose were in a hospital maternity ward on 7th September in 1917. Primrose had just given birth to their first of two sons. Named after his father, Geoffrey Leonard Cheshire with his parents in Greywalls in Oxford. He grew up with his younger brother, Christopher and took after his dad by studying law at Uni. Following his student days Geoff joined the RAF and broke a record by flying 100 bombing missions giving him the award of the Victoria Cross. A few years later after blowing the Germans to smithereens he took command of the famous 617 squadron. Which are better known as the Dambusters.
So he could perch a sibling on his lap in later life and relay his amazing career Leonard met Sue Ryder and married on 5th April 1959. Sue was a goodie goodie as well doing international charity stuff and her shops are still operating today. If you feel like buying a cheap, tacky second hand piece of rubbish the Sue Ryder shops are the places to be seen in! They had a couple of kids and Geoff was given another award on 5th February1981, this one was the Order of Merit and an elevation to the peerage followed on 15th June 1991.
Despite his great work for disabled people Karma wasn't good to Geoffrey as he contracted Motor Neurone Disease which killed him off on 31st July 1992. But his work carries on to this day and the disabled society would be lost without him and more importantly ABLE2UK would be stuck for a story in this quiet month! Cheers Geoff!
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