Clowns in the Sky
1297. Lynn Weston
1298. Richard Chambers
Lynn Weston and Richard Chambers, from London, founded ‘Clowns in the Sky’ which brings sensory play trolleys to children with brain tumours across 50 hospital wards in the UK, bringing fun to them when they can’t make it out of bed.
‘Clowns in the Sky’ was inspired by the loss of Lynn and Richard’s daughter, Jennifer, to a brain tumour at the age of three in April 2004, following a nine-month battle with the condition. Jennifer always found a sense of fun in each day of treatment and Lynn and Richard have been determined to capture this sense of fun through ‘Clowns in the Sky’. In addition to sponsoring children’s entertainers to visit children’s wards on a monthly basis, the charity is also dedicated to giving financial support to families in need throughout the treatment process, and to funding medical research into childhood brain tumours.
In a personal letter to Lynn and Richard, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“I know you do this with no thought of praise or reward, but allow me to offer my own recognition of how you have inspired joy for children in hospitals across the UK, in memory of your daughter Jennifer.”
Lynn and Richard said:
“How wonderful to receive such news, and such an uplifting start to 2020. It is lovely to receive suck an acknowledgement for Clowns in the Sky and also on a personal level. Thank you.”