Our History
In 1960 George Eustance of West Kirby, was visiting his brother-in-law, who was recovering from poliomyelitis at Fazakerley Hospital, Liverpool. George became aware of a large group of disabled children who were obviously in need of outside help in their battles to regain their independence. George asked Alastair Shaw, who had also contracted polio, to help him arrange a holiday for some of these children. So Alastair Shaw, Frank Lamb, and Councillor Arthur Norman Conway helped George to arrange a camp under canvas for children from the British Polio Fellowship in Liverpool.
Our first Camp was in on the playing fields of Calday Grange Grammar School in 1961.
Alastair formed a new Committee, Chairman Frank Vaughan Needham, a well known Heswall interior furnisher and Rotarian. Laurie Pearce, a local bank manager, was Secretary and the new Committee included Alastair Shaw, Frank Lamb, Charles and Alastair Kameen, Michael Byrne, Sheila Shaw, and Graham Baldock, and was registered as a charity.
In 1962 it moved to The Liverpool Boys’ Association Camp at Heswall.
For over 30 Years Michael Byrne MBE steered the Charity forward, with the Camp later being held at Kingsmead School and then at Barnstondale Centre, it's current home. In 2012 the responsibility of Chairman Passed to Vinny Keating who originally began his time at Camp as one of the boys, over 20 years ago and then to our current Chairman, Captain Charlie Bough.
In 2020 a second camp at Barton Camp in Somerset was founded and is led by Toby Maddocks, a teacher with 20 years’ experience of Heswall Camp.
The idea for a second camp in the Southwest came from helpers who regularly travelled from the region to Heswall. In 2019 a flying day was arranged in Gloucester and many parents spoke about how a residential camp was sorely needed, so we worked to create one as soon as possible.
We are proud to say that we are one of only handful of Ofsted registered disabled children’s holiday schemes in the UK. Even more so because we have been graded as Outstanding in each of our inspections. In 2017 we were recognised with The Queens Award for Voluntary Service, the highest accolade a charity can be given.
In recent years we have also had a virtual camp to offer some support during Covid, a book club, a half term club and a residential camp for young adults based at Wingate Centre in Cheshire. We are ambitious for the children and young people we support and keen to grow and continue to meet their needs.
Our history is part of our strength. Each year all the helpers gather to pay thanks to Alastair Shaw, for all the hard work he and many others put in to start Heswall Disabled Children’s Holiday Fund and to honour those who continue to uphold those same principles that founded our Charity.