Susan Jagelman organised a Consorts’ Lunch in support of Treloar’s, with guest speaker Nicola Doran, Treloar’s Livery Relationship Manager. Participants were mostly current Consorts, but included the Immediate Past Actuaries Consort Sandra Jones, Clerk Alex Hayward and Master Rodney Jagelman.
Enabling education for disabled young people
In 2023 the Livery movement raised £76m for charity, for many charities, including Treloar’s, which had been founded in 1906 by a previous Lord Mayor and Master Loriner, Sir William Purdie Treloar. This initial charity was a “Cripples’ Fund” which in 1908 morphed into Treloar’s Hospital. Sir William realised that such children were unable to attend school, so decided to educate them and teach them a trade or craft. Treloar’s today still works on that basis.
Treloar’s currently cares for 170 students, from 22 counties. This entails a staff of 800, including the school and medical centre, teaching and support staff and carers for those who stay overnight and at weekends, as well as the day students, and also caring for other family member at the same time. Each child requires a wheelchair; none has independent mobility. 63% require speech and language assistance; 50% are non-verbal. 70% are quadriplegic through cerebral palsy. 45% have visual impairment. Several have life-limiting conditions.
This is obviously a huge challenge but the school has been deemed Outstanding at the last four Ofsted inspections. Students make excellent progress and are encouraged to become as independent as possible. There is never a dull day!
The school receives £25m from the Departments of Education and Health. Several Livery companies provide financial and practical assistance. The Wheelwrights and Carmen have constructed a trolley on which a wheelchair can be hoisted and the student controls the speed, which sounds very exciting. The Glovers donate medical gloves. The Air Pilots provide a flight simulator, and pupils have even been taken up in planes at Blackbush Airport.
Pupils with cerebral palsy undergo muscle tone and speech exercises, which improve their ingestion of food, enabling them to integrate more fully with their peers thus making mealtimes more fun. The children love being outside, especially when it snows! The swimming pool has been renovated recently, with revamped changing rooms, each with an overhead hoist.
At the end of the talk, Susan presented Nicola with a cheque for £500 from the diners, which would be matched by a donation from the Worshipful Company of Actuaries.
The Master’s closing remarks. Speaker Nicola is in pink on the right.
We were all inspired by hearing about the work of the school, and looked forward to attending the Treloar’s Ball on 30 April as a further fund-raising venture. In addition, the Lady Mayoress is organising a Treloar’s Tea Party on 26 June, at which Alan Titchmarsh will be a special guest.
Martin and I are looking forward to visiting the school, with the Lord Mayor, later in March.
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