Dear Committee Members, Friends, and Supporters.
I would like to start by thanking everyone who has supported the London Taxi Drivers’ Charity for Children in 2023, namely our benefactors and sponsors, members of the public, our volunteer taxi drivers and our hard- working Committee Members.
A special thanks goes out to our volunteer drivers who have come together over the years since the charity’s inception in 1928 to help and support London’s disadvantaged children.
I would also like to thank Her Majesty the Queen for her ongoing Patronage and send the charity’s good wishes to her and King Charles following his recent health concerns. 
The LTCFC has had a very productive 2023, arranging a number of annual events and outings, and supporting a number of appeals. Also, as recognition of the charity’s work over the years, some LTCFC Committee Members were invited to the grandstand at Buckingham Palace on Coronation Day, and Michael Son BEM and I were privileged to attend the King’s Coronation Garden Party as an acknowledgement of the charity’s support of London’s disadvantaged children.
At both the end of spring and summer, the LTCFC took three schools from the Isle of Dogs on kayaking and paddle boarding days at the Docklands Sailing Centre. The Centre’s fully trained instructors help children with special needs to build up confidence within a fun and challenging environment. 
In June we held our Annual Summer Outing and this year 60 volunteer taxi drivers took 160 children and 50 carers to Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne. This was a new outing destination for the LTCFC, and we were grateful to Paradise Wildlife Park for making it such a wonderful day and for the Asda Store on the Isle of Dogs for stepping up as our departure and return location at very short notice. The feedback from the children, schools and drivers is that they all had a wonderful day, and with it being such an enormous success I would like to announce that we shall be doing it all again in 2024. I must also thank Sean Paul Day of London Taxi Radio who produced a brilliant short video of the outing which has been nominated for the Smiley Awards – Short Charity Video of the Year. I would also like to thank everyone who voted for our video in these Smiley Awards.
In January 2024 we held our Annual Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at the JW Marriot Grosvenor House in London, where approximately 620 children and their 250 carers were entertained throughout the day by a DJ, singers, dance troops, face painters and other artists. For the first time the Grenadier Guards Military Band entertained the children with a brilliant 25-minute performance that proved the highlight of the day. As well as being entertained and fed, the children left the party with a special gift bag with toys provided by Hasbro and a specially commissioned cuddly Louie Taxi Toy as a memento of the day.
The LTCFC were also asked to take part in an upcoming documentary about London Taxi Drivers and the various aspects of charity work that the taxi trade are involved in. Hopefully, it will portray the London Taxi Driver in a positive light and show the ways in which the drivers give their time to help others less fortunate than themselves. The documentary is to be aired on Channel 4 relatively soon, so keep an eye out for it.
In December LTCFC Committee Members were fundraising at Burlington Arcade in Mayfair. These annual fundraising days, although being cold and quite tiring, are very worthwhile and enjoyable as they help fund many of the Appeals that the charity supports. This year we funded the purchase of a bespoke tricycle designed specifically for the needs of a young boy so that he could go out with his parents and have a better function in family life. We also helped a school buy specially designed tech tablets so the school’s special-needs unit could have the children interact fully with other equipment within the school. We also purchased a specially designed wheelchair to support the ‘Super Sid Appeal.’ These things cannot be done without the donations of all our wonderful supporters, and we thank all of you for your continued support and generosity.
During 2023 due to his retirement, we unfortunately lost the help of our long-standing committee member Larry Abrahams. It was sad to see Larry retire from the charity, and we all wish him a long, happy, and healthy retirement. 
On a happier note, during 2023 we have welcomed two new committee members to the LTCFC, these being Louise Fowler, and Stuart Murray, and I am sure whatever roles they undertake within the Committee they will be fully committed and successful.
On behalf of myself and my family I would like to say a hearty thank you to everyone who has helped me in my first year as Chairman of the LTCFC and I look forward to an exciting and successful year ahead for the London Taxi Drivers’ Charity for Children.