The LTFUC help the Dockland Scout Project after being bequeathed £12,000 from the late Daphne Joan Lines.
The late Daphne Joan Lines was a great friend of LTFUC Committee members Susan Angel and her sister Lilian Julier and through them she came to know the taxi trade and the London Taxidrivers’ Charity for Children and would come along to give a hand at various functions and outings. Even when her health deteriorated, she would still come along and watch from the back of Susan’s taxi. Daphne had a bad start in life and was put into care at the age of five living in various children’s homes, but Susan says that at the age of 16 she came to live with ‘Auntie’ and she finally got the love and care that all children need and deserve. She managed to turn her life round and was a very clever, caring, no-nonsense individual with a wicked sense of humour. She was given the nickname ‘The Duchess’, a name which stuck as it suited her so much. Sadly, although married for many years, she was never blessed with children. However, she never forgot her early life and wished for other children to have a better life than she did, so it came as no surprise to learn she had bequeathed £12,000 to the LTFUC.
Around the same time, the LTFUC had received an appeal from the Dockland Scout Project who were in urgent need of four boats which could be especially equipped to enable ‘special needs’ children to sail on the river and Susan, Lilian and all the committee felt this was a very worthy cause for Daphne’s legacy to go to.
On Saturday 11th October 2008, a very warm and sunny day, the committee of the LTFUC were delighted to visit the Dockland Scout Project marina to make an official presentation of the four new boats to Richard Hart, the District Commissioner of the Dockland Scout Project. The four boats were appropriately named ‘Daphne Lines’, ‘Duchess’, ‘Bill Tyzack’ (the LTFUC’s Hon. Life President) and ‘Taxi’ (the safety boat), three of which proudly displayed the fund’s logo.
We were delighted to welcome the Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Councillor Muhammed Abdullah Salique who stated it was a privilege to be attending such a worthwhile cause and how wonderful it was of the late Daphne Lines to have bequeathed this money to the LTFUC. Richard Hart stated that the boats had already been used by ‘special needs’ children, Scouts groups and Girl Guides and thanked us for the donation. Barbara Eames, who was also in attendance to witness the occasion, said she was there to remember the special times she spent with Daphne.
Susan summed up the afternoon by saying “Watching the inauguration of the four boats with the sun shining and over a hundred young children all with life jackets on eagerly waiting their turn, I knew that the legacy that Daphne had left us was helping to achieve her wish”. The LTFUC committee were delighted that they were able to put Daphne’s legacy towards such a good cause during their special 80th anniversary year.
Raymond Levy
(Press Officer)