A couple whose charitable trusts have distributed almost £7 million in grants were “speechless” after being recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours.
Mary and Charles Dobson, from Bristol, were each made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for charitable services to children and young adults living with disabilities and life-threatening illnesses.
Following an accident in which their son Julian lost two fingers, the couple founded the Charles and Mary Dobson Charitable Trust in 1988 through which they donated a percentage of their annual salaries to charitable causes.
The pair, now aged 81 and 80, were on holiday in Spain when they received a phone call from their cleaner, Sally, who had opened a letter from the Cabinet Office informing them they had been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours.
Mr Dobson, 80, said: “We were speechless – it was completely out of the blue.
“Sally wanted to know if she would have to curtsey to us when we arrived home.
“We’re just an ordinary couple and we are now suffering from a bad case of imposter syndrome.”
Following the success of the couple’s sign and display making company, Spandex PLC, the trust became The Spandex Foundation to which the Dobsons donated a percentage of the business’ profit.
In 1998, the trust was renamed The Starfish Trust and continued to distribute grants, including for six specialist hydrotherapy pools in south-west England for disabled children, a meningitis research laboratory at the University of Bristol and a £1 million grant to assist the development of a children’s hospice in Bristol.
It has also helped to fund the development of the WizzyBug – a mobility aid that helps children that have difficulty walking to get around.
Mr Dobson continued: “We are now feeling very privileged and wish that our parents were still alive to share this moment with us – they would be so proud.
“We also have immense gratitude for all the hard work and dedication given to us by our Spandex employees who were like our second family.
“Without them, we would never have had the privilege of being able to help so many disadvantaged children and young adults through our charity The Starfish Trust.”
For more information, visit www.thestarfishtrust.org/
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