About The Children's Trust
The Children's Trust is a national charity working with children who have multiple disabilities and complex health needs. We are based at a 24 acre site in Tadworth, Surrey but offer our services to children from across the UK.
The Trust offers a unique combination of skills and experience in meeting the complex needs of children with profound disabilities.
Our services comprise:
-Short, medium and long term residential care and therapy
-Residential rehabilitation for children with an acquired brain injury
-Community-based rehabilitation for children returning to home/school after a brain injury
-Special education for pupils with profound and multiple learning disabilities at St Margaret's School
-Short breaks (either at our site in Tadworth or in the family home)
-Transitional care for children who are dependent on a ventilator or complex tracheotomy
-Hospice/ palliative care.
We have an unparalleled reputation in our field thanks to our commitment to meeting the diverse needs of these children and their families, coupled with our ability to deliver the best possible combination of nursing, therapy, medical care and education. Our transitional care unit for technology-dependent children won the Healthcare and Medical Research category at The Charity Awards 2007 and we were voted the top charitable organisation for nurses to work for in the Nursing Times awards. The specialist services we provide come at a cost which is not fully met by statutory sources, so we rely on voluntary donations from our supporters to meet the full cost
Our history
Children's Trust has been changing lives for 25 years! Over the last quarter-century we have provided the very best rehabilitation, education, care and therapy to severely disabled children.
In 2009 we are celebrating our anniversary in all sorts of ways, including opening our new residential rehabilitation centre and hydrotherapy pool. We were also the official charity for the 2009 Flora London Marathon.
Looking to the future, we will be expanding our services to reach even more children and families, not only here at Tadworth Court but also out in the community across the UK.
Find out how you can help us achieve this by visiting our Fundraising pages in www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/fundraising .
The history of Tadworth Court
After a high-profile press campaign to keep what was then called Tadworth Court Children's Hospital open, the Department of Health transferred management control to the newly created charity The Children's Trust in 1984. From 1927 until 1983, Tadworth Court was the country branch of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. Tadworth Court is the Manor House of the Manor of Tadworth which lies within the parish of Banstead, by Banstead Downs, a famous racecourse for London in the 17th century. Banstead was well known as an Airing Place at this period, where Londoners sought fresh air, being 600 feet above sea level. The attractions of Epsom Spa also encouraged the citizens of London to settle in the area. Tadworth Court is a remarkable building, a forgotten country house of the 17th century, yet perhaps the most perfect example of its type that still survives today. Pevsner described it as a 'splendid house' and 'one of the most elegant in the whole country'. He was amazed that such a house so close to London was virtually unknown. Amazingly no pictures of the house are known before the 20th century.