Current Activities

The Trustees have recently agreed a number of new grants including:-

Chandler Junior School – Additional support for the Sensory Garden which has now matured. Following the grant for the creation of the Garden at the School made by the Charity the following is a summary of a letter received from the Headteacher:-

"The Quiet Garden is our 'jewel in the crown' and everyone comments on how beautiful and peaceful it is. K and R (two children with cerebral palsy attending the School) have not stopped talking about it and we are so pleased they are with us and they add so much to the School – it is great to see inclusion in operation."

Continuing support for K and R to provide the essential additional costs to enable them to participate in the school outings and for R to have swimming lessons.

Chestnut Tree House – Donations made to the children's hospice to provide day care sessions, enabling parents to have some respite from the demands of caring for their child.

Small Steps – A pre-school support service working with parents to provide a holistic educational system to enable them to help their young disabled children to be as independent as possible.

The Movement Centre – A small national charity providing "Targeted Training Therapy" to help children with cerebral palsy overcome problems with movement control.

The Dame Vera Lynn Trust for Children with Cerebral Palsy – To fund the costs of a Speech and language Therapist for a year.

Orpheus Centre – Funding towards the cost of a musician to run short courses.

As funds permit we shall expand our help to both individual families and voluntary institutions, underlining our objective to provide financial assistance, help, and support, for sufferers of cerebral palsy and to those providing for their care.

In 2008 the Trustees agreed to support Brainwave and in 2011 we are making the fourth payment of our five year commitment to fund the costs of a physiotherapist based at their South East centre. By this means we have been able to help a significant number of children – Brainwave now has the capacity to meet the needs of 600 children.

Extract from an e-mail sent by a parent to Brainwave, whose daughter A is under the care of the physiotherapist the Cheyne Charity is supporting:-

"Thank you again for your part in A's amazing progress. The consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital who had not seen A for a year could not believe the progress she had made, calling her remarkable. He said the cerebral palsy was so much better, that she was so relaxed, and was confident she would be walking, with the cerebral palsy having a minimal impact on her life. Until now you are the only people who shared the view that our little girl was amazing and we want to thank you all for helping us to prove it. I am just so excited! Thanks again for everything."

The Kensington and Chelsea Primary Care Trust has now opened the new Centre to care for severely disabled children following the closure of Doughty House, and Dr Joan Martin MBE, one of our Trustees who has devoted her life to the care and treatment of children with cerebral palsy, was active on the Committee.