A festival bursting with unusual entertainment marked the 40th anniversary of a pioneering charity which has transformed the lives of disabled youngsters.

MERU, based on the Eclipse Estate in West Hill, Epsom, designs and makes life-changing equipment for disabled young people.

The charity was founded in 1973 by consultant orthopaedic surgeon Trefor Llewellyn-Bowen, father of the flamboyant home-style consultant Lawrence, and William Bond, a senior lecturer in engineering design, who were concerned by the lack of clinical facilities that could provide equipment for disabled children.

Last April MERU merged with Leatherhead-based charity Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People (QEF) after running into financial difficulties.

But the charity is still going strong and the celebration to mark its milestone was held at QEF’s headquarters, in Pereira Hall, Leatherhead Court, in Woodland Road, on Saturday.

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The treats on offer included live music, exhibitions, arts and crafts, and a guest appearance from Dr Who and his arch-enemy, the Dalek.

A spokesman for MERU said: "It was a remarkably enjoyable event.  It was buzzing. 

"It had a folksy theme to it - a little bit of Glastonbury came to QEF. 

"Dr Who and the Dalek appeared.  Because of the nature of how Daleks work, it has a similarity to the charity's engineering so the Dalek has turned up on many occasions to support MERU.

"There was also a wheelchair juggler who juggled crystal balls in one hand, poets, a laughter workshop, face-painting, and a castle on wheels.

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"It was a real celebration and an excellent way to mark 40 years.  There was a lot of joy involved in the whole process.  

"A lot of our clients came down and visited - it was a comfortable atmosphere for them to enjoy themselves."
 

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