A RYCH History

ENRYCH started with one man's vision. A man before his time, he was determined to create a society whereby adults with a physical disability had the opportunity to pursue leisure and learning opportunities within their local communities. This man was none other than Leonard Cheshire who, alongside his wife Sue Ryder, founded ENRYCH in 1986.

Leonard Cheshire recognised that an individual's personal and practical needs were often very well catered for by various agencies, but little, if anything, was readily available which would enable people with a physical disability to pursue hobbies or interests of their choice. Starting initially in Wallingford, South Oxfordshire, word spread quickly about our work, and requests for support in neighbouring areas began to increase. Over a period of ten years, the charity set up ten further projects in Oxfordshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire.

Whilst Leonard Cheshire's vision has succeeded him, his work lives on. ENRYCH currently spans seven counties of England and operates as a family of charities (branches) providing support for adults with a physical disability. All branches are affiliated to the national organisation, which ultimately enables us to reach more people in local areas of England.

Celebrating our Silver Jubilee in 2011, we took the timely decision to rebrand the organisation. We were keen to provide a complement of activities which would enable people to achieve the outcomes they wanted, in ways that they needed, whilst not forgetting our heritage. Ryder-Cheshire Volunteers, as we were previously known, changed its name to ENRYCH.

In 2010 Graeme Garden joined ENRYCH as Patron

Author, comedian, actor and presenter Graeme Garden OBE became involved with ENRYCH after photographing the charity's work for a competition. Graeme took the opportunity to learn more about how ENRYCH provides leisure and learning support to adults with a physical disability and, as a result, kindly agreed to become the charity's patron.

“I am very flattered to have been invited to be the patron of ENRYCH. My day spent sailing with ENRYCH on Pitsford Water was a real revelation. It was exciting and inspiring to see members engaged in activities. Most striking is the cheerful can do attitude, the ingenuity and dedication of RCV's volunteers, the range of activities ENRYCH provides and the sheer pleasure on the faces of those you support. It underlines how important it is that no-one, whatever their circumstances, should be denied access to fun! I hope that in some way I may be able to promote this splendid work.”

ENRYCH President-Patsy Wright-Warren