Tributes

Remembering friends and colleagues who have made a significant contribution to Sherborne Developmental Movement and Sherborne UK.

A Tribute to Caroline Robins
12th April 1961 – 15th January 2024

As committee members and friends of Caroline we were devastated by her loss in January this year. Caroline has been our secretary since she joined the committee 6 years ago. She worked tirelessly to record our meetings and often challenged our thinking and processes.

Caroline was passionate about Sherborne Developmental Movement (SDM). Caroline joined our international community in 2022 in Bristol to become an Internationally Qualified Course Leader (IQCL). Caroline did deliver, alongside another IQCL Louisa White, the new training despite the challenge this caused her due to her failing health. This didn’t stop her delivering the training she was passionate about

Caroline’s family shared Caroline’s own words, at the celebration of her life, expressing what she felt about SDM.

“SDM enables me to offer movement challenges … in an enjoyable and creative way, through experiences with others……promoting and developing self confidence and self esteem and communication skills…..and facilitating the making of different types of relationships through moving with others in a safe, trusting atmosphere and environment.” CR

Caroline developed Sherborne based movement curriculum for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties and complex learning needs in her work at Rosewood and Great Oaks school. She was also the founder of the – Southampton Special Schools Sherborne Sharing Hub.

Caroline’s family have asked SA UK to set up a bursary to support future students in training to become IQCLs, funded by donations from the celebration for Caroline’s life.

The CAROLINE ROBINS BURSARY will be open to application later this year.

As Caroline’s brother told us at her celebration, Caroline lived 62 years of her life on a full throttle. We at SA UK have been privileged to have some of those full throttle years as part of our lives at SA UK.

Alleyne Cliff

Alleyne Cliff

 

George Thomas Hill – 04/10/1936 – 05/07/2017

Co-Founder of the Sherborne Foundation and First Chair Person.

Tribute by Alleyne Cliff:

I first met George in the early 1990’s on a Sherborne Workshop at Middlesex Polytechnic. I was lying and balancing on his back and he turned his head and said, “You’ve done this before haven’t you?” At the first convenient moment the Sherborne conversation started and he soon encouraged me to become a Sherborne Committee Member, and I continue to be so 22 years on.

George was an inspiration to many of us, leading by example. He and Cyndi supervised my ICL Assessment Day in Letchworth, and they have both continued to offer advice and discuss any Sherborne matters. I last saw George at the 25th Celebration of Sherborne in Winchester on June 24-26th 2016. It was so sad to see him in pain and relying on two walking sticks after he had been such an active man.

George was a ‘Bristol Boy’ and lived most of his life in that area other than the 14 years he served with 617 Squadron in the RAF. During his service he was posted to various parts of Europe and as far away as California and Florida. George and Cyndi married and had three daughters and one son, Michael George. Sadly Michael had Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties, which had a deep impact on their lives and future careers. Cyndi became a teacher in a Special Needs School and when George left the Prison Service, he trained to be a Manager of a large centre for Adults with Learning Difficulties in Southmead, Bristol.

It was during this time he met Veronica Sherborne and attended various movement courses. He was inspired by her approach and initiated ‘Movement’ into the Centre where he worked. He had to overcome many challenges to do so, but he persevered realising how important this approach was, to help his clients learn about their bodies, and make relationships.

Veronica was very keen for George to develop and pass on her ‘Movement’ approach, so he worked closely with her. After he left the Training Centre he then ran ‘Movement’ sessions not only in the UK but also in Poland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Estonia and with Cyndi in Japan. Hence this wonderful ‘Sherborne Family’ grew and many of the original contacts he made continue to lead what we now know as Sherborne Developmental Movement.

After Veronica’s premature death in 1990 her husband James requested that his wife’s work should not be lost, and should continue with its integrity intact. He asked George and Cyndi to do this, and much of their life has been focussed on this responsibility.

Through Veronica’s work diary they managed to contact people all over Europe and Canada. At her memorial service many like-minded people agree her work should continue and develop and an inaugural meeting was set up.

To summarise, during the early 1990’s George, Cyndi and others worked really hard to establish the Sherborne Foundation, and George ploughed through the laborious process of formulating the Constitution to comply with the Charity Commissioners regulations. Finally the Sherborne Association UK, with its work now known as Sherborne Developmental Movement emerged very much in part due to George’s efforts. He was elected for the first period of three years to be the Chair, and was the succeeded by Bill Richards, Alleyne Cliff, Penny Rance and currently Gemma Halstead.

George continued running Sherborne Developmental Movement courses with Cyndi into his 70’s until a period of ill health necessitated putting his tracksuit and T-shirt away.

With Cyndi he wrote and produced the Teaching Notes & Guidelines, currently used by all, especially new practitioners. He contributed with others to the original Level One and Two teaching notes. He produced the supportive transparencies for the Overhead Projector, which was used before the era of PowerPoint, Ipads, iBooks, and the high tech equipment used today to deliver and store the Sherborne Developmental Movement information.

For many years George and Cyndi produced the ‘In Touch’ magazine, originally on an old ‘Banda’ machine at Kingswood (the original office for the Sherborne Assn. UK) and later at Grimsby Park School, who provided a big classroom, known as the ‘Sherborne Suite’ and was a centre of excellence for Sherborne Developmental Movement.

George and Cyndi ran courses and attended numerous APCs throughout the UK and Europe. Their motor home was a familiar site, usually parked in the school’s or college’s car park.

George continued to support Cyndi with the Level One courses set up as part of the research programme looking at the process of delivery and effectiveness of Sherborne Developmental Movement for children/students with an Autistic Spectrum Condition. This was initiated via Professor Barry Carpenter at Sunfield School, in conjunction with Ibaraki University and Special School in Mito, Japan in 2007-9.

George, again supported Cyndi in the writing of her book ‘Communicating through Movement’ attending the book launch at Sunfield School with the family in 2006.

One of his last tasks was to devise the Japanese photo and information chart for the Sherborne Developmental Movement timeline, wonderfully put together by Cyndi for the 25th Celebration at Winchester.

George is and will be sadly missed by not only his family but by members of S.O.F.A (Sherborne Old Fogies Association!) with whom he worked, inspired and was a friend. He can Rest in Peace, knowing that he fulfilled James Sherborne’s request for Veronica’s work and its integrity to be continued and developed.

We owe George a big thank you for all he did to establish Sherborne Developmental Movement, and hope he felt that it is in trustworthy hands to develop for another 25 years.

– Alleyne Cliff