About The Falconer Trust
Henry and Rene Webb
The Beginnings of the Trust
The Falconer Trust was formed by Henry and ‘Rene Webb in 1980 with the primary purpose of supporting Miss Falconer and the children’s home that she had founded. Henry’s interest in Miss Falconer’s work started when he joined Mr Bland and Mr McKenzie who ran a Sunday School in the library at Neashan Road, Dagenham. Miss Falconer had stayed with Mr Bland at his home in Seven Kings while studying tropical medicine in London prior to sailing for Africa, and had worshipped with him at Wangey Road Chapel in Chadwell Heath. The Sunday School moved into Lillechurch Gospel Hall after it was built in the early 1950s. All the Sunday School collections were saved and sent to help Miss Falconer and her ‘chocolate drops’, a term that would not be used today. Soon annual ‘Toy Sundays’ were being held and ‘parcels’ containing toys as well as baby food began to be sent to the orphanage by post.
When Henry retired from his position with the Nationwide Building Society The Falconer Trust was brought into being as the vehicle with which to support the thriving ‘Falconer Children’s Home and Orphanage’. If you should have visited Henry and Rene at their home in Goodmayes, Ilford, you would have seen the parcels stacked in the hallway ready for dispatch to the Children’s Home via a freight carrier.
The Trust Today
The task of packing, sorting and dispatching the goods so lovingly given, has now moved to Norfolk. One of Henry’s sons , Ken oversaw the running of the Trust until January 2023. An industrial unit in Watton is used for storage of all the donations of clothes, food, toiletries etc., and where the parcels are packed ready for dispatch. parcels include donated goods such as clothes, blankets, dried and tinned foods, nappies, stationery, toiletries etc.
In April 2014 Neil Starling joined the team as Manager of the trust, and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Trust.
Three Newsletters are produced each year. Please use the form on the Newsletter page if you or your fellowship would like to be added to our mailing list. Neil, Ken, Pat and many others have visited the Home on several occasions and videos of the visits are available. Neil is also available to visit Churches, schools and any other interested groups to share the story of Miss Falconer and the Children’s Home. Please contact him for more information (phone 01953 884468 or email info@thefalconertrust.co.uk).
Neil Starling with one of the children
Our mission
We are committed to helping the children of the Falconer Home to have the best possible start in life - enabling them to have a secure home, a good diet, clothing, and a sound education. As a Christian charity, we aim to see every child experience God's love and compassion, and to have the opportunity to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
The sign which stands in front of the main house at the Falconer Home
