Silver Cross of St George
Charity founder and patron Roger Jefcoate also plants endangered black poplar trees wherever and whenever he can.
Roger Jefcoate
I’M one who tries to get things done; you see a need and get on with it!’ says Roger Jefcoate – a fair assessment of this seemingly inexhaustible man. Amersham born, Roger has cofounded charities like ME Research UK, Mobility Trust and Canine Partners, and is patron to many more.
He also established his own grantmaking trust, which has awarded around £6 million to hundreds of charities over the years, and helps other charities in sourcing funding, like making introductions and editing their letters and applications.
It’s seven days a week and all his efforts are voluntary.
“God’s work as far as I’m concerned,” Roger says happily.
His amazing and varied contribution to society all started in 1960, when Roger helped to develop the world’s first electronic life-support ventilator.
“When I was at school I didn’t want to stick around for university or anything like that – not bright enough,” he adds modestly. “But I developed an interest in electronics and was very pleased to help Barnet Hospital develop that equipment.
“I then moved on to Stoke Mandeville Hospital, at the invitation of Paralympics founder Sir Ludwig Guttmann, to develop the first independent-living technology for severely disabled people, including ventilator users. We managed to persuade the NHS to provide that technology nationwide, including for Stephen Hawking.”
Soon, though, that there were many more pioneering developments by the Stoke Mandeville Hospital team that weren’t available on the NHS. These included finger-controlled road vehicles, writing aids, page turners and intercom systems.
Roger didn’t want these to be out of reach for those struggling for financial survival on benefits, so he founded the Disability Aid Fund in 1983. This became the Roger and Jean Jefcoate Trust, which now supports local, regional and small national healthcare disability charities for older people.
“We prefer to help adults because, with £50 million going to BBC Children in Need, we thought, what about Oldies in Need, too?”
Roger’s other raison d’être which also benefits society is planting endangered black poplar trees (populus negra betulifolia).
“I’ve planted hundreds all over the country. It’s a beautiful tree. It features in Constable’s Hay Wain, and also in his paintings of Salisbury Cathedral where I’ve replanted the trees which he painted.
“We have 50 million oak trees and probably 80 million ash trees, but only about 15,000 black poplars on our national database, and fewer than 1,000 are female. So I plant both.”
Roger has planted trees at Gatcombe Park, Lambeth Palace, Chequers and Sandringham – “I’ve done Sandringham twice with the Queen and the Duke.” But most are done by what he calls “guerrilla tree planting”.
“I do it in broad daylight, so it’s not secret – people see me doing it, oh, yes. But I’ve never been challenged, not even when on a roundabout!”
It led to Roger being described as “The Phantom Tree Planter” by the Woodland Trust and in Fiona Stafford’s fascinating book, “The Long, Long Life Of Trees”.
“I spoke at Eton about my charity work for 30 years without a break – public speaking was one thing that kept me afloat financially.
“I didn’t mention the trees, although I have planted on their sports ground. They wanted to know about the new technology and how it was applied to people with disabilities and so on.
“I told them this equipment was life-changing for people with conditions like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and motor neurone disease. It’s not just making life but dying more meaningful too.
“It helps families, takes pressure off the carers and helps them to communicate. At the very end, through a computer they can say, ‘Thank you’ and ‘Goodbye’.”
Roger’s work has led to improvements in the quality of life of disabled adults across the nation through technology and advice.
“It’s what I call love in action,” he summarises. “Of course, I could have done none of this without my Jean right behind me, we’ve been together for 55 years.” If he could choose his legacy? “I would just want it to be ‘he planted trees’, Roger says simply. “That would do nicely.”