how the London Taxi Drivers’ Charity For Children helps and supports kids with trips and funds

by Jon Massey

It was in my second year of doing convoys with the charity – we were taking the children to Southend and my passenger was a child of about nine with her carer,” said Antony Moore. “She was still in a pushchair, being fed from a bottle and she looked like she was in pain.

“When we got to Southend, she went on one of the very slow snail-rides. As I watched her come round the corner, she was smiling and that was when I was hooked.

“From then on I just got more and more involved with anything I could do to help.”

Antony, who lives on the Isle Of Dogs, is the honorary chairman of the London Taxi Drivers’ Charity For Children – an organisation that has been dedicated to helping, supporting and delighting disadvantaged and special needs kids since 1928.

Known for its convoy trips and outings, the organisation has also raised money for various appeals, funding medical equipment, technology, playgrounds, mobility aids and even hospice renovations over the course of its 95-year history.

While its first ever trip was a coach excursion to London Zoo for children living in Norwood Orphanage – organised by former resident and hackney carriage driver Mick Cohen – 1931 saw its first convoy with 40 licensed taxis taking kids to Southend-On-Sea where they could spend 6d in pocket money about 1.94 today .

Last month the charity undertook its latest convoy excursion with more than 0 taxis taking children and their teachers and carers from local schools to Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire.

“The taxis get decorated with balloons and streamers and so on,” said Antony. “We have to have ambulances and the AA in tow in case anyone breaks down or needs medical assistance and then off we go – beeping horns with all the kids waving out of the windows.

“The journey is part of the fun because they don’t know exactly where they are going – it’s like a mystery tour and they have a really great day.”

Antony became a taxi driver after retiring from a job with Parcel Force.

“I’ve been driving for about 13 years now and I got involved with the charity in the first year, he said. “I was looking for a second career and I could never be a plumber or something like that because I’m not that dexterous –but I like driving and talking to people, so it worked out. I started studying for The Knowledge when I was in my late 0s and it took me about four years – it was the natural choice after that.

“The man who owned the school that I’d studied with was part of the charity and so I thought I would join in.

“I became the chairman in January, taking over from Michael Son, who had been doing it for about 0 years.

“Some of the drivers who are involved with us have been volunteering for more than 50 years – it’s a lifetime.

“Two have been awarded MBEs for their work and one’s a BEM, so there’s been some recognition but, of course, that’s not the reason we do it.

“It’s all about the children. On one trip I was driving one kid through Woburn Safari Park and he got really excited – at first I thought something was wrong and we couldn’t have stopped.

“But his carer explained it was just because he’d seen a tiger for the first time and he didn’t know they were real – he’d only seen them in books before that. It’s moments like that which make everything worth it.”

While the charity runs various excursions and activities, its flagship event sees it host around 00 children and their carers at the Marriott’s Grosvenor House Hotel.