St Bridget’s Cheshire Home

Born in 1917, Leonard Cheshire became one of the RAF's youngest commanding officers and in WW2 he led No. 617 Squadron - the Dambusters. Surviving the war, Leonard decided he should try to make the world a better place, so when a dying acquaintance asked to come and stay with him, this inspired a lifetime of humanitarian work with disabled people. By the summer of 1949, his Hampshire home had 24 residents with complex needs and illnesses.

By 1955, there were five Cheshire homes in the UK and by 1970 there were over fifty, with more overseas. St Bridget’s Cheshire Home, Rustington, opened in 1987 and is home for 38 physically disabled adults.

Photo courtesy of Harry Clark