UK Support
Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth Sea Cadet Unit
As the Commanding Officer of Ross on Wye and Monmouth Sea Cadet Unit I benefited from the support of the Clive and Sylvia Richard Charity Organisation in the move of the unit and its establishment at Homs Road. Now four years later, as the Chairman, I found myself indebted once again to the Clive Richards Foundation for their assistance in adding a new classroom for our newly formed Royal Marine Cadet detachment.
This will allow us to continue to provide high quality training to our expanding group of Sea Cadets and fully support the trial of our Marine Cadets which has already proved extremely popular. This expands our appeal to young people and widens their horizons beyond the purely Naval element of the Corps.
Objectives. In addition to the aim of the Sea Cadet Corps, the Royal Marines Cadet section has three objectives:
• To provide a platform for young people with an interest in the Royal Marines to broaden their knowledge of that Corps.
• Instil the qualities of good citizenship and high moral values in our young people by using the skills, ethos and qualities of the Royal Marines.
• To be advocates of the Royal Marines throughout communities and to increase the footprint of the Royal Marines family within those communities.
The generosity of the Clive Richards Foundation will allow us to deliver on those objectives for our local community. "Without the support of the Clive Richards Foundation over the last 5 years I am not confident the Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth Sea Cadet Unit would exist today"
Many Thanks
J. L Williams
Lt Cdr RN (Retd.)
Unit Chair
Ross-on-Wye & Monmouth Sea and Marine Cadet Unit
Herefordshire Growing Point
Following the Clive Richards Foundation’s donation towards our replacement minibus the services users said
'I really like it, so much nicer than our old one'
'I can't wait to go out on some some trips'
'Wow, it's immaculate'
'I can drive straight onto it without using a winch'
Dentaid
We are a supported housing project which accommodates 13 men, all of whom were homeless prior to living with us. Homelessness is often accompanied by challenges in maintaining dental hygiene, and our men frequently come to us with poor dental health.
Having Dentaid come and perform checks and treatment was such a huge positive for our residents.
Many had painful teeth removed or filled, so saw immediate benefits.
Seeing a dentist also improved their awareness of dental hygiene and self-care.
Overall, however, I would say that the biggest advantage was the effect on their self-esteem and mental wellbeing. They felt seen and cared for. You restored some of their dignity.
I would very much like to thank you on their behalf, and to express our interest in receiving further visits from Dentaid.
Joanne Child
Support Worker
Hope Scott House, Hereford
Hereford City Rotary Club
We are very grateful indeed to the Clive Richards Foundation for its generous support to Hereford City Rotary Club in promoting Treorchy Male Choir in Concert at Hereford Cathedral on 7 September 2024.
The Cathedral was filled with more than 700 people who were treated to a wonderful programme of music put together by Treorchy and supported by Hereford Police Choir.
Our fundraising event for charities in and around Hereford was most successful, and the donation by the Clive Richards Foundation assisted greatly in defraying some of the overheads associated with such a venture, thereby leaving more disposable funds for our charities. With your support, we are pleased to be able to make more of a difference in 2024-2025 for people who are less fortunate than us.
Hereford Choral Society
Hereford Choral Society remains hugely grateful to the Clive Richards Foundation for its ongoing generosity in sponsoring our annual performance of Handel’s Messiah. This candlelit concert, held at the beginning of December in the beautiful setting of the Cathedral, has for many people come to be one of the highlights of Hereford’s Christmas celebrations.
The support has been invaluable in helping us to continue with activities bringing great choral music to Herefordshire. As well as two further major concerts each year, we are able run a “Sing for Fun” Choral Workshop, welcoming non-members to develop their skills alongside our members and providing valuable paid experience for the young professional singers who perform solo roles.
Young people are the future of the great British choral tradition. We have for some years encouraged families to attend our concerts with a number of free tickets for children. We are now planning to encourage slightly older young people to take part in choral music by offering a small number of bursaries to enable them to sing with the choir, getting to grips with the hard work and discipline of rehearsals, and then enjoy the unforgettable experience of singing some of the world’s greatest music, in a majestic setting, with a professional orchestra and soloists.
All this helps us to continue to share our music making so that performing and listening to major choral works becomes as widely accessible as possible.
Photo Copyright Michael Whitefoot
Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) The Soldiers' Charity
“Our thanks go once again to the Clive Richards Foundation who so generously supported the ABF Herefordshire Christmas Family Concert in December 2023. All monies raised by the ABF are used to support any member of the Army family in their time of need.
We heard this year from Bob Semple, an ex-Royal Engineer, who having left the Army was working as a civil engineer in the Yemen in February 2014 when he was kidnapped by Al-Qaeda and held hostage for 565 days before being reunited with his wife Sallie and their children.
His absence put Sallie under enormous financial pressure as Bob’s Yemeni employer stopped paying his salary. Unable to support their three sons on her nurse’s wage, she was forced to sell the family home and downsize. At this point the ABF heard of her plight and stepped in to help, supporting her and the family financially. Following his rescue by United Arab Emirates Special Forces, Bob returned home in August 2015.
Both Bob and Sallie are now ambassadors for the Army Benevolent Fund.”
Robert Wallbridge
Chairman, ABF Herefordshire
British Disabled Angling Association
We would like to thank you again for your extremely generous support last year towards our Classroom Project. With the accessible classroom now on site, this year we will be able to offer a fully inclusive learning experience for anyone with an interest in fishing and provide all year-round shelter from the elements for individuals who will be using it for indoor teaching sessions on fishing equipment, fly tying, fish management, entomology, lunch breaks, toilet facilities, boat safety and the countryside code.
It will also be used as a training centre for anyone who would like to volunteer as a BDAA buddy, plus a training centre for angling awards including the Angling Trust level 1 and 2 coaching assessments. Thank you for making this happen!
Here is how it all began and how to how it looks today!
South Marches District Scout Council Herefordshire
We wish to thank the Clive Richards Foundation for their very generous donation which has enabled us to build a carbon neutral Community Centre and District Scout Headquarters.
This will enable all within the local community to enjoy the complex as well as supporting over 800 young people in their Scouting activities.
We Are Farming Minds, Herefordshire
We are so grateful to have received our grant from the Clive Richards Foundation.
As a charity we provide counselling within a week to anyone within the farming community who are struggling with their mental health.
The grant has enabled us to carry on providing this vital and much needed support, which prevents people from reaching a crisis point often leading to suicide.
We have recently seen a huge increase in people accessing our support and the grant has meant that we have been able to support each and every one!”
Longlands Riding for the Disabled Group
The Longlands Riding for the Disabled Group needed to replace the riding helmets used by the children who come to ride every week.
Riding helmets must be worn at all sessions and they do need replacing after so many years. They are expensive and we are very grateful to the Clive Richards Foundation for the grant that covered this cost.
The new hats are now being worn by our riders.
The Willow Trust
“The very kind donation from The Clive Richards Foundation has helped us to replace the wheelhouse floor on one of our two boats, enabling wheelchairs to move freely and, as a result of this, our guests to steer the boat.”
Rory Wolfe Murray
The Willow Trust
Forest fighting Fit
We are very grateful to the Clive Richards Foundation for our fantastic new equipment.
It is much appreciated and it was so great to hear that you see our impact in the community.
Army Benevolent Fund, Herefordshire
“The Army Benelovent Fund (ABF) Herefordshire is extremely grateful for the continuing support of the Clive Richards Foundation whose grant to the Christmas Family Concert 2022 helped in the raising of significant funds as a result of the event.
These funds are used by the ABF to support those members of the Army family in their time of need – such as part funding the ‘Overlander’ all-terrain mobility vehicle used by the speaker at the event, Serjeant George Pas, late of 6 Rifles who is paralysed from the waist down following catastrophic injuries sustained in a motorbike accident.”
Robert Wallbridge
Chairman, ABF Herefordshire
Crackerjacks Children's Trust, Kidderminster
Many thanks for your generous donation.
Your commitment in helping and supporting our charity enables us to keep providing care for differently abled children in your local community.
We continue to advance in our mission to help those children and their families who so urgently need our care by providing specialist equipment, sensory toys or a respite break.
Through our grants program we like to think that we can help these children’s lives and change them for the better.
Bartestree & Lugwardine Cricket Club
"In an age where local cricket is supposed to be in decline, Bartestree & Lugwardine Cricket Club has definitely bucked the trend.
Founded just 25 years ago, we have grown from a small village club to one of the biggest in the county, fielding three senior teams and providing coaching and league matches for children of all ages. Our ethos has always been to focus on our local youth and provide best coaching and the best facilities that we can.
The Clive Richards Foundation has helped us three times in our journey - the first in funding a new artificial wicket for St Mary's School where our development 3rd XI played, the second in contributing to state-of-the-art cricket nets some 10 years ago, when we were delighted to welcome Clive and Sylvia to perform the opening ceremony.
Now, this past summer, our faithful 60 year old cricket square roller was on the verge of giving up the ghost and the long-overdue purchase of a new one became urgent.
A successful appeal to the Foundation enabled us to acquire a superb new model, which has performed excellently and made our groundsmen very happy. "
Cobalt - Cheltenham
Cobalt officially launches new digital PET/CT scanner.
Medical charity Cobalt Health (Cobalt) held the official launch of their new PET/CT (Positron Emission Tomography /Computerised Tomography) scanner at the Cobalt Imaging Centre in Cheltenham.
Sylvia Richards, Trustee of The Clive Richards Foundation, launched the new scanner which was installed at a cost of £2.6m, partly funded by a successful fundraising appeal. The Clive Richards Foundation is a long-term supporter of Cobalt, in recent years the Charity has generously supported lung cancer screening programmes in Manchester, Hull, Newcastle and Gateshead.
The late Clive Richards CBE KSG DL was a former Patron of Cobalt, a keen supporter of our work, and a remarkable philanthropist along with his wife Sylvia.
Peter Sharpe, Cobalt Chief Executive said "PET/CT has a key role to play in the diagnosis and staging of cancer, and the diagnosis of early on-set dementia. This new scanner, a Siemen Biograph Vision PET/CT scanner is the very latest digital technology, and will enable us to see more patient very quickly, leading to an early diagnosis. It will also enable Cobalt to support more research projects and clinical trials aim at improving patient outcomes in cancer and dementia".
Cobalt provides the NHS PET/CT service for patients in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and beyond supporting over 4,000 cancer patients a year.
Ospreys Wheelchair Rugby Club
Ospreys Wheelchair Rugby club were delighted when the Clive Richards Foundation awarded them a very generous donation of £10,000 giving us the vital funding needed to provide training and specialised sports equipment for our members.
Wheelchair rugby can be life changing. People can suddenly find their lives traumatically changed through injuries and illness and many are born with disabilities. Wheelchair rugby is a great sport with so many benefits both physically and mentally. Having something to focus on helps disabled individuals focus on something they can do, increases confidence which influences so many other areas of their lives and results in a more positive outlook on life. This is essential for many people who sadly find themselves in a life changing situation, they can meet friends, have fun and learn a whole set of new skills.
"Before I played rugby, I didn't actually do anything. I was very lazy. I would literally come home from school and college to eat sweets and chocolates and just watch telly all day but now, playing wheelchair rugby, I have to focus on my fitness. I have to be the best I can be. Wheelchair rugby means my life. I love this sport and Ospreys is my family at the end of the day. My biggest issue was when I was growing up, I didn't have many friends. So playing wheelchair rugby was my friend. Now I'm here with my friends."
“Ospreys Wheelchair Rugby has given me so much confidence and a great social life. Before I started this sport, I used to be very nervous about going out on my own, but rugby has given me the self-assurance I needed to lead a fulfilling a d active life. I have also received great health benefits by playing rugby which has helped my condition immensely, and I am sure it will add many years to my life.
The Foundation’s donation has made an invaluable difference to our club and its players, we cannot thank them enough for their support.
Childhood Eye Cancer Christmas Appeal 2022
The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) is the only UK charity dedicated to working with and on behalf of the babies, children, families and adults affected by retinoblastoma (Rb). Around 50 babies and children in the UK are newly diagnosed with retinoblastoma every year, and roughly 200 children at any one time are receiving treatment or aftercare. Although 98% of children affected by Rb survive, most will be left with a permanent visual impairment. Around half of the affected children will lose an eye and a few are left completely blind.
We are enormously grateful to the Clive Richards Foundation for generously match funding our 2022 Christmas Appeal up to a fantastic £20,000. We were delighted with the Appeal’s success, which raised over £35,000 (and over £55,000 including the matched funding). One of our long-term Members heard about the Clive Richards Foundation’s wonderful support and was delighted to make a very large donation, with the knowledge that this would be doubled.
The funds raised by the Christmas Appeal will help us to continue providing our unique and unreplicated specialist support for families and individuals affected by retinoblastoma over the coming year. CHECT’s Support Workers are based at the only two UK hospitals which diagnose and treat retinoblastoma, meaning that we can guarantee the offer of dedicated support to every child and family affected.
Thank you so much to the Trustees of the Clive Richards Foundation for their generosity and kindness.
Bone Cancer Research Trust Christmas Appeal 2022
In October 2022 the Clive Richards Foundation very generously agreed to match, up to a maximum of £25,000, the income from our 2022 Christmas Appeal.
We were delighted to reach this total, especially given the current cost of living crisis. The financial situation in the UK and further afield has had a significant impact on this type of fundraising appeal across the charity sector, with feedback from other charities indicating that supporters are reducing all their outgoings including charitable donations more widely.
The fact that the Clive Richards Foundation was match funding the appeal was a huge draw for the appeal. Many supporters mentioned this as a reason to give, and also to give a larger amount than they might otherwise have done.
Thank you for your ongoing support of the Bone Cancer Research Trust. It is very much appreciated and this match-funding has made such a difference to our fundraising and our ability to support patients and fund vital research.
Bargoed Male Voice Choir
The Bargoed Male Voice Choir are so very grateful for the continued support we receive from the Clive Richards Foundation.
The donation we receive goes a long way in helping the Choir. It's been a difficult time getting back to normal since the Covid Pandemic with the loss of several members, so contributions are low at the moment.
The money we receive from the Foundation helps tremendously and allows us to continue supporting our Local Community on events.
Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital Charity
Generous donation helps in the fight against delirium.
The Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity (now the Clive Richards Foundation) have made an exceptionally generous five figure donation to help us complete our campaign to end delirium for intensive care patients.
The gift enabled us to reach our target and as soon as the Covid-19 Lockdown is over work will begin on installing the Sky Tiles, refurbishing the family room and redesigning our critical care garden including the installation of a roof and heaters.
Aerospace Bristol
The restoration and repair of Grade II listed heritage aircraft hangar, ‘16M’, on the museum site.
The 107-year-old Hangar’s cladding has been completely replaced and insulated, transforming the outside of the Hangar and displayed now in its original colour from the World Wars. Extensive repairs and replacements have been made to the roof timbers and trusses.
There has been lots of interest from educational establishments and local industry employers to become involved in the learning aspects of the project, again due to the unique nature of the project and the invaluable experience on offer.
Thank you so much for your support, it has been fantastic.
Stonebridge City Farm
Stonebridge City Farm received £4,873 from the Clive Richards Foundation towards the costs of four new laptops and the upgrading of the computer cable infrastructure.
We had been experiencing intermittent connections, resulting in lost connections, printing errors and sometimes haphazard email and internet connectivity. The corrective work has provided a modern installation which is now reliable and easier to manage.
The new laptops also allow us to develop and broaden our support work for volunteers as we digitalise our records, utilise online training resources and inplement a new database.
We would not be able to do this without the support from the Clive Richards Foundation – thank you.
Peter Armitage
Chief Executive
Climbing Out
Climbing Out has had an incredible 2022, we’ve gone from strength to strength and we’re now supporting more people than ever.
We were incredibly grateful for the £1,500 donated by The Clive Richards Foundation in July this year and the money donated was used to fund the purchase of kit and equipment vital for the delivery of our 5 day programmes. Thanks to your donation we’ve been able to purchase climbing harnesses and helmets, waterproof jackets, trousers and boots.
This kit has enabled us to deliver a wider range of activities as well as providing warm and waterproof clothing for those participants that don’t own their own, enhancing their experience on the 5 day programmes. We’re incredibly grateful for your support that’s helped us improve the service we’re offering.
SS Great Britain Trusts - Bristol
‘In 2018 the SS Great Britain Trust opened the new Being Brunel museum on site next to Brunel’s steamship SS Great Britain in Bristol. It is dedicated to exploring the life and legacy of the man behind the legend, and inspiring young people for the future. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was the son of distinguished engineer and refugee from revolutionary France, Marc Isambard Brunel. Isambard was a polymath, a talented engineer, architect, and artist. He represents the pinnacle of Victorian engineering achievement, and was a man of extraordinary and far-reaching vision and panache, a dynamic and driven man whose creations changed the world. This £7.2m transformational museum/education project has already won many prizes and awards, including the UK Museum Exhibition of the Year prize. It welcomed over 10,000 visitors in only its first week, and many thousands since then.
The project and its public outcomes simply would not have been possible without the very generous support of the Clive Richards Foundation. The funding commitment was pivotal to the success of the vision for the new museum and its education programmes, and also helped leverage significant further support from other stakeholders and funders.
The heart of the museum is built around some 150 Brunel objects from the internationally significant Brunel collection created by and gifted to the Trust by Clive Richards for the nation. The SS Great Britain Trust is privileged to care for this collection and to make it available to everybody, showcasing Brunel’s influence on his world and his relevance to the world today.’
Hereford Choral Society
Hereford Choral Society is hugely grateful for generous and ongoing support from The Clive Richards Foundation.
Sponsorship of our annual Messiah performance benefits us in so many ways:
It has made music making in 2022 in the premiere venue of Hereford Cathedral, whilst battling with the legacy of Covid-19 just a little easier. We can continue our “Sing for Fun” Choral Workshops and keep them free for those under 25. The workshops offer non-auditioned singers a chance to work with a professional conductor and accompanist, allowing them to participate in large scale choral works, which would otherwise be unavailable to them. The workshops also offer valuable paid experience for the young professional singers who perform the solo roles.
We are keeping our ticket prices, for the upcoming season unchanged, despite anticipated increases in all areas of expenditure. We have also chosen not to increase our annual chorus membership fee.
We continue to offer up to two free concert tickets for young people under the age of 16 when they are accompanied by a ticket purchasing adult. All these things help Hereford Choral Society continue to share its music making. Our aim is to make performing and listening to major choral works as widely accessible as possible thus helping to keep the great British choral tradition alive.
Hereford Choral Society
photograph copyright Michael Whitefoot
Blackfriars Rose Garden Gates, Hereford
‘The Friends of Blackfriars Rose Gardens were able to commission new gates for Blackfriars Rose Gardens thanks to the generous support of the Clive Richards Foundation (formerly the Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity) and others.
The gates were designed by young artist/blacksmith Joe Shevelan studying at Hereford & Ludlow College and made by master blacksmith Peter Downey as his last commission before retiring from a distinguished career based in Herefordshire.
This new piece of public art in the Widemarsh neighbourhood will bring wider appreciation of the splendid hidden gem that is Blackfriars Rose Gardens.’
All the funding for this project came from within Herefordshire.
Anne Harbour, Friends of Blackfriars Rose Gardens
L – R: Jesse Norman, MP; Mark Dykes, Mayor of Hereford; Dame Kate Bingham; Anne Harbour. Photo Derek Foxton
Gates designed by Joe Shevelan and made by master blacksmith Peter Downey. Photo Geof Tarring
Cobalt - Cheltenham - project based in Hull
A donation of £225,000 was made towards the purchase of this scanner unit now based in Hull.
It has been hugely successful in identifying a number of cancers at an early stage.
British Glass Foundation
We are extremely grateful to have received £25,000 from the Clive Richards Foundation / Clive & Sylvia Richards Charity towards the internal fit-out of the brand-new Stourbridge Glass Museum which opened for the first time on 9 April 2022. Our charity was set up to find a new home for the world-famous Stourbridge glass collections following the closure of Broadfield House Glass Museum in 2015 when the glass and archives were put into storage. If funding had not become available then the glass might have remained in storage never to have seen the light of day again. However, due to the support we have received we have protected and preserved the
400-year glass making heritage for future generations.
Housed in the former Stuart Crystal glass factory, which had been derelict for many years, set across two floors visitors can go on a journey through time and witness the fascinating story of Stourbridge glass, discover what it was like to work inside an iconic glass cone and how the industry helped Stourbridge gain an enviable reputation around the world. There is plenty to enjoy from engaging animations and interactive digital displays to live glass making in the hot glass studio plus various events and exhibitions for all ages.
The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust
We are delighted to have been awarded £50,000 from the Clive Richards Foundation to fully fund a new research project to develop a new, more targeted treatment for the eye cancer retinoblastoma, which would preserve much more of the affected child’s vision than may be the case with current treatments.
Developments in treatments for retinoblastoma have reduced eye enucleation (removal) rates from 80% in the 1990s to around 40% today. However, although more children than ever are retaining their eyes, sadly, current treatments such as chemotherapy, whilst successful in treating the retinoblastoma, can also cause toxicity to healthy retinal cells, leading to loss of vision.
]This project hopes to develop a new method of treatment which, in addition to suppressing the cancer, will not damage surrounding healthy retinal cells, and so will preserve more of the child’s vision than may be the case with other treatments. Preliminary studies show that the approach works on cell cultures: the next step is to now test it on enucleated human retinoblastoma tissues to determine whether the approach has the same effect in humans.
Ultimately it is hoped that this new, more targeted method will prove to be an important addition to the treatments currently available, and one which allows more of a child’s sight to be saved for their future. This is so exciting because it’s really taking treatment to the next level. We are already saving many more children’s eyes than was previously the case – this project opens the possibility of now being able to save more of their sight. This obviously would have a huge positive impact on every child treated, enabling them to have a better quality of life in every way: one in which they are more active, and enjoy an increased level of independence and engagement. (April 2022)
The British Disabled Angling Association
The British Disabled Angling association were absolutely thrilled when the Clive Richards Foundation / Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity informed us, they were able to provide a grant of £6,340 towards our ‘Buddy Appeal’
This new project is working with many adult, children/young people’s organisations and disability groups to provide fishing days, where they are given the opportunity to either try angling either for the first time or to renew a previous hobby after a life changing accident or illness. Our trained coaches and volunteers will deliver specialised ‘Buddy’ fishing experiences to children and adults. We promise them a fun-filled day teaching them how to fish and how to do it themselves, with the support of a ‘Buddy’ As well as improving overall health and wellbeing, fishing can provide other benefits.
Being involved in a sport or outdoor hobby like fishing can, for many disabled people, help combat loneliness and isolation, whilst rebuilding confidence, self-esteem, and encourage friendship and companionship, through a shared interest. We also know that when children are involved in an outdoor hobby, their interest in nature and conservation can grow.
The grant ensures we can now provide approximately 200 disabled people with a Buddy experience. The project has had a fantastic response from people with physical, medical, learning, sensory or mental health disabilities wanting to have a go at fishing and now with the generosity from the Clive Richards Foundation / Clive & Sylvia Richards Charity we can continue to provide these beneficial experiences - Thank you!
Parents' Quote
Thank you so much for today, it was amazing. Jack thoroughly enjoyed his day and he was buzzing on the way home. We will certainly be back again as soon as we can. I know today will stay with Jack and hopefully develop into one of his lifelong hobbies. Thank you again for making it such a memorable day. (August 2021)
The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2020
With matched funding for COBALT's Big Give Christmas Challenge 2020
Raising Funds for:-
Rapid Access Diagnosis for Cancer Patients
Cobalt would like support cancer patients by introducing a pioneering onsite service to analyse bloods at the Cobalt Imaging Centre prior to scanning reducing the need for lengthy waits at hospital. The new onsite service will support the NHS and enhance patient care and well-being.
University of Worcester - Three Counties Medical School
Donation made to create a specialist anatomy suite for use by health students at the University of Worcester.
The Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity donated £250,000 in recognition of the University’s work to educate the next generation of health professionals.
The anatomy suite will provide specialist facilities and equipment for training student nurses, midwives, paramedics and medical students, once approval for a new medical school to be based at the university is achieved. The new state-of-the-art anatomy suite will be located in the former Worcester News building, which is currently being fully renovated and repurposed to create a new health and medicine building.
Professor David Green CBE, vice chancellor and chief executive, said:
“We are very grateful to the Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity for this most generous gift which will do so much for the education of the health professionals on whose skill and dedication the health of the people of Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and the wider region depend.
Press Release - Hereford Times
26th July 2020
Herefordshire couple hand over £50,000 to help children with cancer
A HEREFORDSHIRE couple has donated £50,000 to a charity which supports children with a rare form of eye cancer.
Clive and Sylvia Richards, who live in Ullingswick near Bromyard, handed over the sum to The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust so it can continue its work after being financially hit by the Covid-19 crisis.
More commonly known as CHECT, the small charity provides help and support to UK families affected by the rare eye cancer retinoblastoma - which normally affects children and babies under the age of six.
The cancer has a 98 per cent survival rate, but in around half of all cases a child has to lose an eye to stop the cancer from spreading.
As they don’t receive any money from the government, the charity relies totally on public support to fund their work.
CHECT’s fundraised income was down by just over 70 per cent in the first three months of this financial year due to the cancellation of public fundraising events.
The Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity is committed to supporting charitable causes where its financial support will make a difference.
Clive Richards, who received a CBE for services to charity and to the community in Herefordshire in the latest New Year Honours List, said: “We are delighted to make this richly deserved donation to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust, who have given so much to the children and families who have suffered from this unfortunate illness.
"Our charity is committed to supporting education, healthcare, heritage and arts and our aim is to make a difference.”
Patrick Tonks, chief executive of the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust added: “We’re honoured to have received this funding which will help us to continue to support UK families facing a diagnosis of retinoblastoma.
"When a child is diagnosed, it can be a distressing and frightening time for everyone – even more so during the unease of a pandemic – and we are here to help.
“This donation will make an invaluable difference to our families.
"Whilst we and our wonderful supporters will still need to work hard to continue to raise funds, we recognise that this donation from The Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity will make a huge difference to our ability to continue our work helping those affected by this cancer especially in such challenging times. We are extremely grateful for their wonderful support.”
Childhood Eye Cancer Trust
We are extremely grateful to have benefited from the support of the Clive Richards Foundation / Clive & Sylvia Richards Charity since 2018. Retinoblastoma is a rare and aggressive form of eye cancer that affects babies and children, usually under the age of six. Around 50 children are diagnosed in the UK every year and more than half will lose an eye in order to stop the cancer spreading and save their life. At any one time, dozens of children will undergo invasive and distressing treatment and nearly half of cases are heritable, leaving the child vulnerable to other cancers later in life as well as the risk of passing the gene on to their own children. CHECT is the only charity in the UK exclusively supporting families affected by Rb – from diagnosis, throughout treatment and beyond into teenage years and adulthood.
In 2020, in response to the financial challenges experienced by CHECT as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, we were delighted to receive a wonderful grant of £50,000 from the Clive & Sylvia Richards Charity to help us continue our vital work supporting families affected by retinoblastoma and driving faster diagnosis by increasing recognition of retinoblastoma’s signs and symptoms.
CHECT’s Chief Executive Patrick Tonks says “The CHECT team was honoured to receive this wonderful grant from the Clive Richards Foundation / Clive & Sylvia Richards Charity. The grant made an invaluable difference to the work we were able to undertake with families affected by retinoblastoma during this extremely challenging time. We are enormously grateful for their generosity and kindness. We were also fortunate enough to get to know Mr Richards himself and to benefit from his personal interest in our work.”
September 2021
COBALT
Donation of £235,000 towards the purchase of Low Dose Mobile CT Lung Cancer Screening unit. Cobalt working in partnership with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust to provide the first commissioned lung cancer screening service in the UK. This scheme was launched in Manchester and the mobile unit parks on Tesco car park at its stores located at Failsworth and Cheetham Hill.
Fitzroy
“By funding this important refurbishment, the Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity has made a dramatic difference to the day-to-day lives of our Herefordshire residents.
We are extremely grateful for this generous support.”
Andrew Grant FRICS DL, Patron, Fitzroy
Hereford Rotary Club - Duck Race 2019
'We are delighted to have raised £8,382 for our local and international charities - we couldn't have raised this amount without the fantastic backing we have received from our main sponsors the Clive and Sylvia Richards charity who have been so incredibly supportive of this venture.'
Photographs by Derek Foxton
Peter Le Marchant Trust
The Peter Le Marchant Trust has established an innovative Young Peoples project with the support of the Clive & Sylvia Richards Charity to increase the number of young people who volunteer and participate at its Base and on its Canal Boats. This is a new and exciting project seeing young people engaging in Canal Boat operations and environmental work to improve their motivation, confidence & self-esteem.
Leominster Royal Air Force Air Cadets Leominster (151 Squadron) - Marching Band - statement
'Following a monumental fundraising drive by the Civilian Welfare Committee and some very generous donations from several benefactors including the Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity, 151(Leominster) Sqn took delivery of instruments for a full marching band in September 2018. Just a week later and with just 4 hours practice, four drummers and the Drum Major took part in a WW1 Centenary Parade in Bromyard which was incredibly well received. By November 11, Armistice Day, the band had 11 members and proudly led the Leominster Remembrance Parade. Feedback from the local RBL was that the presence of the band had lifted the parade to new heights and they were already looking forward to them leading the parade again next year.
Band members have regular practice nights at the squadron and are increasing their repertoire of tunes in readiness for the summer. As many of the cadets cannot read music, they are learning to play both ‘by ear’ and with help from those among them that can read it.
As a squadron we are incredibly grateful to everyone who made such generous donations to our band fund and helped us provide the cadets with another chance to learn a skill and gain confidence.
151 (Leominster) Squadron ATC is proud to be the first Cadet Marching Band in Herefordshire.'
Circus Starr
Let me just say, thank you so much! The Clive & Sylvia Richards Charity has made it possible for us to take forward our Circus of the Senses project which we have run in Shrewsbury and Milton Keynes. Your support of our project has allowed us to explore sensory techniques to make our inclusive circus performances as meaningful and as stimulating as we can for those with profound and multiple learning difficulties. At a time when businesses and foundations are facing uncertainty post-Brexit and so many other requests for donations, you thought of others for whom FUN is all too often in short supply and extended your hand of support to them.
Flying Scholarship for the Disabled - based in Gloucestershire
Scholarship awarded in 2018
Keech Hospice Care
Keech Hospice Care is the adult hospice for Luton and south Bedfordshire, and the children’s hospice for Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes.
As a charity, we provide free, specialist care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for adults and children with life-limiting and terminal illnesses as well as vital support for their family and friends.
Our excellent care supports children and adults to live pain and symptom free, to spend untroubled time with their family and friends, to understand what is happening to them, to stay out of hospital and to make the most of the time they have.
Our care is not just provided at the hospice itself but in the hospital, school, care or family home – wherever support is needed the most.
As leaders in our field, our excellent standard of care extends to support a patient’s family, friends, neighbours and colleagues for as long as they need us afterwards.
As a charity, we rely on our supporters for around 70 per cent of our funding. This means we need to raise more than £6 million every year to continue our specialist care. We’re enormously grateful for the support of The Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity as donations like these will ensure we can keep providing all our services to our adults, children and their families at a time they need us most.
A statement from Childhood Eye Cancer Trust
The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust is absolutely delighted to have the support of the Clive & Sylvia Richards Charity. Their extremely kind and generous donation of £15,000 per year for two years will make an enormous difference to our work with families affected by retinoblastoma (Rb).
Rb is a rare and aggressive form of eye cancer that affects babies and children, usually under the age of six. Around 50 children are diagnosed in the UK every year and more than half will lose an eye in order to stop the cancer spreading and save their life. At any one time, dozens of children will undergo invasive and distressing treatment and nearly half of cases are heritable, leaving the child vulnerable to other cancers later in life as well as the risk of passing the gene on to their own children.
CHECT is the only charity in the UK exclusively supporting families affected by Rb – from diagnosis, throughout treatment and beyond into teenage years and adulthood. The support of the Clive & Sylvia Richards Charity will help us to continue this vital work in the future. It will also help us to raise awareness of this little known cancer among parents and healthcare professionals to ensure a quick diagnosis, and fund research into treatments and care of those affected.
PRESS RELEASE on 19th January 2014
Clive Richards OBE donates £1million to St Michael’s Hospice, Bartestree, Herefordshire
Thanks to the enormous generosity of philanthropist Clive Richards OBE, DL the community of Herefordshire is one giant step closer to having a hospice that can meet all the palliative care needs of local people for generations to come, both within St Michael’s Hospice and just as importantly within the place where they live.
Clive Richards is one of Britain’s most successful businessmen and since setting up The Clive Richards Charity with his wife Sylvia in 1987 he has been supporting communities and giving people access to education and pathways to independence.
Clive’s successful business career and investments have enabled him to help many charities and organisations in his home county of Herefordshire. Supporting the County, where he first came as a child to pick soft fruit, has given him and his wife Sylvia enormous fulfilment over many years.
Sylvia and Clive’s profound act of human kindness builds on the long-standing support that St Michael’s has received from its community over the last thirty years, and will enable the Hospice to double the amount of care it can give to all family members affected by the life-limiting illness of a loved one. St Michael’s Hospice will be able to offer far more support out in the community and enhance the care it gives to local patients, their friends and family, regardless of their circumstances.
Clive Richards OBE, DL said, “I have chosen to support St Michael’s Hospice because I feel passionate about the work they do. The new Hospice will play a vital role in the community and I believe that every penny being spent on this new development is needed to ensure people are cared for at every stage of their illness and the support is there for their family to help them through the most difficult of times. Understanding how much this means to local people and how generous and creative they have been in raising what has been achieved to date has inspired me to make this donation to end-of-life care for our community for the future. I hope this will make it possible for the community to shortly reach the target needed for the full Redevelopment Appeal.”
Chairman of St Michael’s Hospice, Alister Walshe said, “Thanks to Clive and Sylvia we are now getting close to raising all the funds we need to complete the first phase of the new In-Patient Unit and Complementary Therapies Suite. We hope this generous act of kindness will inspire others to dig deep and make a Once-in-a-Lifetime gift to help bring all our plans to life and create a Hospice that is for everyone in Herefordshire and surrounding borders and will make a real difference to families at the time they need it most.”
Cruse in Bristol
An award was made to Cruse in Bristol. They help bereaved people/families by providing drop-in facilities,
telephone calls, therapeutic groups and one to one support.
Seeing Ear
The Seeing Ear Library is a national charity which caters for a range of disabilities. Each book in the Library can be read as giant print, Braille and synthetic speech, and they can be accessed on computers, tablets or internet audio players.
The Clive and Sylvia Richards charity supported the purchase of 1,000 books to be added to the Seeing Ear Library specifically targeted at young people with visual impairment. These books included those for pleasure and also those necessary for school or college. This project plays an important part in realising the potential for these young people who face considerable difficulties in their lives.
May 2017
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham Exciting vision for Imaging Centre - Opening of new ITM Unit. Download the article click here
Canine Partners
Assistance dogs which are trained to meet the needs of individuals with even the most complex physical disabilities. There are hundreds of disabled people across the UK partnered with these dogs. The Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity have assisted Canine Partners in many fundraising events, Breeding programmes and capital projects. Their new premises at Fields Farm is currently under construction.
Canine Partners receives no government funding, they rely solely on donations and legacies to keep creating these life-transforming partnerships.
Fields Farm Midlands Centre - Canine Partners
The main building was completed in 2014 which meant they were able to create 31 new partnerships during that year from the Midlands Centre. In January 2017, they opened the kitchen and wheelchair accessible accommodation. The final phase that they are fundraising for is a special kennel block which will allow them to house 24 dogs in training.
A statement from The Daisy Garland
‘A journey of hope… for children with epilepsy’
The Clive & Sylvia Richards Charity Are Transforming Lives!
The Daisy Garland would like to extend their huge and heartfelt thanks to the Clive & Sylvia Richards Charity for their extremely kind and generous donation of £25,000 towards second year ketogenic funding at the John Radcliffe Children’s Hospital in Oxford.
Over the past 10 years The Daisy Garland have funded 15 specialist ketogenic dietitians, all of them working in NHS hospitals countrywide transforming the lives of hundreds of children who suffer with drug resistant epilepsy through the ketogenic diet therapy. Due to lack of NHS funding this diet is not widely available in the UK, but the Daisy Garland aim to change this, with more dietitians planned to follow.
The Daisy Garland is enormously grateful to the Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity for believing in the work that we do and for their extremely generous support for which we are unspeakably grateful.
For more information about The Daisy Garland please visit www.thedaisygarland.org.uk You can also find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
This is Summer. Summer's mum Carly said
“The Daisy Garland really has changed our lives
and Summer is so much happier and alert thanks
to the ketogenic diet and our amazing dietitian,
Judy Wadsworth.”
The Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity has since
supported further specialist detogenic dieticians
via The Daisy Garland (update in 2020).
The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice
Stoke on Trent
Art Therapy is an important tool which is used at The Donna Louise, it allows the children, many of whom are non-verbal, to communicate their thoughts and emotions in a creative way.
It forms an integral part of their counselling approach; art is used as a distraction to help the child relax and to allow them to examine their feelings.
Often a child simply can’t put into words their feelings, so they feel more comfortable using pictures.
12:05pm Wednesday 23rd December 2015
By Rebecca Cain | Hereford Times
A local couple who have donated more than £10 million to Herefordshire projects have given an early Christmas present to the city hospital.
Philanthropist Clive Richards and his wife Sylvia have bought a second CT scanner worth £250,000 for Hereford County Hospital.
The gift means reduced waiting times and patients will be able to have their scan and diagnosis more quickly.
The current scanner, which creates detailed images of the inside of the body, has been used around the clock but there have been delays when routine maintenance is required.
Mr Richards said: “The current scanner is desperately needed and there is a long waiting list.
“I have had several employees who haven’t had scans quick enough. Their cancer deteriorated to a point where treatment could have been given earlier if they had a scan.
“I have been a terribly lucky boy in my life and made a few bob. It’s nice to be able to give something back. Herefordshire has been very good to me, I am trying to pay back a little bit.”
Conquest Theatre, Bromyard, Herefordshire - new Theatre building - 1991
