A Norfolk trust has marked half a century of giving by making a special donation to a children's charity that works to transform the lives of young people who have suffered severe emotional and psychological trauma.
The John Jarrold Trust this year celebrates its 50th anniversary and to mark the occasion it has given £4,000 to Childhood First for an education project at Merrywood House, one of the charity's residential care homes in Norfolk. The funding - which was presented at an anniversary tea party hosted by Childhood First Norfolk supporter Dina Hambro - will be used for a small extension that is being built to provide space for the children's educational needs.
Patricia Phillips, a Childhood First trustee, said the donation was an important funding boost for the Merrywood House appeal.
She said: 'This project is now up and running, with the work started and, we hope, completed in spring 2016. It is important because education, obviously, is extremely important, but with these psychologically damaged children they often have difficulties in a social situation, finding it difficult to behave appropriately. Also they usually do not trust adults because it is adults that have betrayed them by abusing and neglecting them. This space allows them, with the help of the trained staff to access their education and do homework.'
The John Jarrold Trust, established 50 years ago by John Jarrold in 1965, continues today to be run by members of the Jarrold family and is funded by income received on the Jarrold company shareholding that Mr Jarrold, a master printer, gifted to the charity.
Antony Jarrold, chairman of the trustees of the John Jarrold Trust, said: 'We decided to mark the occasion with Childhood First as it is an organisation meeting precisely the community needs that the trust sees as a priority for their aid support.'
Visit www.childhoodfirst.org.uk and www.johnjarroldtrust.org.uk
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