It’s Our 70th Birthday!

For 70 years, The Percy Hedley Foundation has been the heart of the community in the North East, empowering children and adults with disabilities. When the Foundation began there was only 12 pupils, now we support 584 people.

 

How did it all start? 

The Percy Hedley Foundation wouldn’t have been formed without the power and determination of parents, in particular Molly and Stephen Darke.  

Their son, Stephen Lawrence Darke, was born 8th January 1942 with Cerebral Palsy. They campaigned with other parents for a school suitable for their children. The legend goes that they used to visit local pubs collecting money as part of their fundraising efforts and wash it in the bath before putting it in the bank. 

Because of their passion and commitment, the Percy Hedley Foundation was founded in 1953 as a special school for children with Cerebral Palsy.  When the first school opened there were only 12 students, one of whom was Stephen Lawrence Darke.  

Stephen Lawrence Darke remained a resident of the Foundation for the rest of his life, residing in Chipchase House, until his death in 2022, aged 80.   

We thank the Darke family for their unwavering support throughout the years. 

See photos of Molly and Stephen Darke, as well as their son Stephen Lawrence Darke throughout the years below:

So, who was Percy Hedley?  

Percy Hedley was a local engineer and was never directly involved with the Foundation. He created a trust – the Percy Hedley Will Trust – and left all his money to charity upon his death. We were one of the lucky three charities who received funding from this trust. 

Help us celebrate

To celebrate this monumental anniversary, we’ve got events and fundraising opportunities throughout the year: