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The Education Special Interest Group had a guided tour
of the Foundling Museum in London in February, followed, after
lunch, by a talk on the current work of the
Coram Family by its Chief Executive, Honor Rhodes.
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The Coram story
In the early 1720s, Thomas Coram, a retired
shipwright and entrepreneur, was horrified by the many young
children he saw abandoned on the streets of London. Around a
thousand babies were being abandoned every year in the
capital. In other major cities, institutions had been
established for the care of such children, but in Britain
abandoned babies were tainted with the stigma of
illegitimacy.
Thomas Coram resolved to do something about this drastic
situation and spent the next seventeen years raising funds
and support for the establishment of the Foundling
Hospital. His dream was finally realised when the
Royal Charter was given to establish the Hospital in
1739. The first foundlings were admitted on 25 March
1741. A permanent site was found north of Bloomsbury
and during the next decade the Foundling Hospital took shape
with the support of such figures as William Hogarth and
Frederic Handel.
Today, Coram Family continues the
Foundling Hospital's pioneering work with vulnerable and
socially-excluded children and young people through
innovative childcare projects.
The work of Thomas Coram also lives on in the Foundling
Museum's commitment to bring the arts and music to everyone,
and especially children. Family activities include
creative art sessions, music workshops and author visits,
and a programme of concerts, including Handel and other
Baroque music. The Clore Education Centre offers free school
group visits and is developing work with vulnerable young
people.
For more information visit www.coram.org.uk
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Nine of the fifteen members
who participated in the visit.
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