So many people made a difference to our lives: in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the idea of the Pestalozzi Children’s Village inspired the nation – individuals and organisations rallied to help in the best ways they could.
How popular was the charity? In 1958 (before children had even arrived at the Village) Christmas card sales in support of the Pestalozzi Chlldren’s Village totalled approximately 180,000! Many weeks throughout the following years saw coachloads of visitors arriving at Oaklands. The first annual Open Day, in 1960, attracted almost a thousand visitors! In the same year, the charity’s mailing list was nearly 30,000 addresses (and, remember, there was no such thing as email). Hundreds of schools and social organisations created “laydybird clubs” to raise money by selling ladybird pins for one shilling each (5p – but, today, equal to about £1). A local Volkswagen company even donated a brand new Microbus!
Some gave money, some donated or created useful items. Others gave their time to raise funds. Many took the children on excursions and others opened their homes to give a child a holiday. Each, in their own way, contributed to making our lives better.
Below are some links to these various groups. Of course, we’d love to collect more information to more clearly record just how they helped .
The following pages are still under construction. But do click on the links to find out more about these generous people and groups – or to find out what you may be able to add to the story: