Owen Spencer-Thomas
Encyclopedia
Owen Robert Spencer-Thomas MBE
is perhaps best known as a television and radio news journalist
over three decades, but he has also undertaken a wide range of philanthropric work as volunteer charity fundraiser, pioneer and campaigner for people with autism and other disabilities. He has received several national acolades for his voluntary work and was made a Member of the British Empire by the Queen in 2008.
As a leading student activist, he led a nationwide campaign which successfully persuaded the Government to reverse their controversial decision to increase overseas students' fees in 1967. However, he first caught the attention of the national press when he invited the legendary British criminal and escapee, Alfie Hinds, to take part in a college debate on the British justice system. Spencer-Thomas also made the news when he successfully demanded an apology from an unrepentant tabloid newspaper that was claiming children with autism would learn good manners if they were "stuck up to their necks in warm sewage".
Few people know that he combined his career with that of ordained Anglican clergyman. He was born into a farming family on 3 March 1940 in Braughing
, Hertfordshire
, England
. He is married to Maggie; they have three adult children, two sons and a daughter.
, Oxford, from the age of eight, he continued his education as a teenager at Ardingly College
, West Sussex
. He studied at the Royal Agricultural College
, 1958-1960, in Cirencester
and spent several years working on his father's farm in Hertfordshire.
He graduated in sociology
at The Polytechnic, Regent Street
, (now the University of Westminster
) where he campaigned to establish its Students' Union and became its first elected President, a sabbatical post, in 1966. The fledgling Union caught the public eye in 1967 when Spencer-Thomas invited the notorious British criminal and escapee, Alfie Hinds
, to take part in a College debate to give his controversial views on the flaws in the English legal system and speak about his daring jail breaks from three high security prisons. After the debate Hinds was confronted by another attempt to deprive him of his liberty. During a drink in a nearby pub, he was kidnapped by six students as part of a rag week stunt and frogmarched along a couple of streets to a basement room in the College. Hinds yet again foiled his captors after securing a bunch of keys and turning the lock on them. The ensuing publicity generated considerable interest, trebling the charitable revenue from the rag week activities.
During Spencer-Thomas's Presidency of the Students’ Union, the British government decided to increase fees for overseas students by four times in 1967, thereby making it necessary for many to return home unable to complete their courses. A high proportion of students at The Polytechnic came from overseas and Spencer-Thomas was one of the leading campaigners calling on the government to reverse its controversial decision. The hard-fought student campaign backed by a nationwide petition and demonstrations won the support of many university and college principals. As a result of the protest the government gave funding to the British Council
to assist those students in desperate need and make it possible for them to complete their courses in the UK.
Spencer-Thomas continued his studies at Westcott House, Cambridge
and Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
. Both he and his wife, Margaret, are members of the high IQ Society, British Mensa
. His father, Ivor Spencer-Thomas
, a Hertfordshire farmer and famous inventor, held the feudal barony of Buquhollie and Freswick in Caithness
, Scotland
. His mother was Alice Rosabel.
in 1978 as senior reporter on the regional magazine programme About Anglia
, he later became news bulletin editor of Anglia News in 1992. He also presented Anglia Television
’s late night religious programme Reflections. He has been a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4
's You and Yours and Sunday programmes and has presented religious and ethics programmes on Thames Television
and Southern Television
. He has reported for Independent Television News
(ITN).
He devised and presented the popular Sounding Brass
radio phone-in programme which was later fronted by Gloria Hunniford
on BBC Radio 2
. His radio biographies appealed to a wide audience and his portrayal in 1978 of the outspoken television personality, panellist and quizmaster, Gilbert Harding
, was widely acclaimed. He was one of the early pioneers of the local radio phone-in on BBC Radio London during the 1970s with his own programme Your Call.
An innovative programme producer, Spencer-Thomas recorded two half-hour interview programmes with Kenneth Williams
in which the comic actor, who rarely revealed his private life, spoke frankly about his early days and his feelings of loneliness, despondency and underachievement. Carry On Kenneth also featured skilfully chosen clips from the famous Carry On films
, in which Williams starred, adding a gentle humour to the probing interview questions. Other famous celebrities he interviewed included comedian Eric Morecambe
, pop singer Helen Shapiro
, children’s presenter and campaigner Floella Benjamin
, National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) President Arthur Scargill
, Methodist minister and open air preacher at Speakers' Corner
in Hyde Park
Lord Soper and former Prime Minister John Major
. He was one of the contributors to BBC's Pause for Thought and presented a series of weekend broadcasts on social issues on BBC Radio 2
.
His documentary Underneath the Arches
broke tradition by enabling London
’s homeless people to tell their own stories without any links from a programme presenter. Instead, he used short clips from catchy music hall
songs to establish each location and, with careful editing, the interviewees related their own experiences and introduced each other. The publicity boosted funds for the Crisis at Christmas campaign and brought more volunteers to the charity which used a derelict church in Lambeth
to house and feed homeless people during Christmas week each year in the 1970s. The unique presentation of the programme won the UNDA award from the International Catholic Association for Radio and Television for the best UK religious radio programme in 1977.
However his television reporting was not all plain sailing. On 7 January 1993 he capsized a canoe which he had borrowed to film the flood stricken village of Alconbury Weston
, Cambridgeshire. He and his drenched film crew were featured on ITV's It'll Be Alright on the Night
.
, he continues to give active support, pastoral care, counselling and practical help to families with autistic children.
Speaking at The University of Westminster in 2010, he said: "...the great irony for me is that although communication has been central to almost all my work, our elder son has severe autism. (He) can neither speak, nor read, nor write. His understanding of the world around him is cruelly constrained and very different from yours or mine." He added: "... despite his lack of language, he is among those who taught me and in his own way encouraged me and my family to campaign for people with autism."
Spencer-Thomas provided a telephone listening service from his home and visited families with newly diagnosed children. He set up regular parent meetings with a children's crêche at Addenbrooke's Hospital
, Cambridge, and organised speakers and local conferences to enable isolated parents to learn more about autism, its treatment and the care of people with autism.
Organising the first conference in Cambridgeshire
on the now widely acclaimed TEACCH system, he led the way to its adoption in many local schools and centres. This system, founded in 1966 by Eric Schopler
at the University of North Carolina
, United States
, enhances the communication ability of people with autism and similar conditions.
Spencer-Thomas became an advocate acting on behalf of families and negotiating with local authorities the appropriate care and education for their autistic children. He raised £53,000 for a local parent support group, The Cambridgeshire Autistic Society.
He became Founder Chairman of the East Anglian Autistic Support Trust (EAST) in 1991, campaigning widely and raising the public profile and understanding of autism at a time when there was still much ignorance about the condition.
On one occasion he publicly challenged a tabloid newspaper columnist
who had argued that if some children diagnosed with autism were stuck “up to their necks in a vat full of warm sewage for 10 hours they would soon learn some manners”.
EAST and other autism charities were besieged by phone calls from distressed parents following the article by Dr Vernon Coleman
, a former general practitioner
who was renowned for his outspoken views in his agony uncle column ‘’Casebook’’ in the Sunday People.
Spencer-Thomas, whose elder son has severe autism, condemned Coleman’s remarks as “irresponsible, medically unsound and deeply hurtful” to families that had a child with autism.
Coleman had also claimed that diagnoses of hyperactivity and autism were “misused by middle-class, aspirational parents to excuse the behaviour of their obnoxious children.”
Spencer-Thomas challenged Coleman to spend 24 hours caring for his son in the presence of fully trained carers who understood the devastating and debilitating effects of autism. Coleman declined to take up the challenge and refused to withdraw his remarks. But Spencer-Thomas had the last word when he referred the matter to the Press Complaints Commission and the newspaper’s editor, Bridget Rowe
, printed an apology.
As well as campaigning and giving practical support to families with disabled children, Spencer-Thomas headed several successful major charity appeals. A keen cross country runner, he raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for mental health charities. During his time with EAST, he established the first, and desperately needed, specialised accommodation and daycare for adults with autism in Cambridgeshire. During the ten-year fundraising appeal, Spencer-Thomas raised 1.5 million pounds and gave nearly 1,400 talks to schools, clubs and societies on autism awareness.
He raised a further £400,000 to assist with the provision of a day centre for adults with autism. He served on the National Autistic Society
(NAS) Council from 1996 until 2002.
- another voluntary appointment in which he gave support to disabled children and their families and monitored their statutary services.
He established an educational trust in 1996, which gives grants to gifted children and young people who need additional support for their studies. The Willow Trust has supported children in both state and private education and has also supported both graduate and undergraduate students.
From 1994 until 1997 he has served on the Council of The Old Rectory School
, Brettenham, Suffolk
, which specialises in teaching children with dyslexia
. He continues to raise funds for a range of other charities.
. He was invested by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 4 March at Buckingham Palace.
The University of Westminster awarded him an honorary degree, Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) in January 2010 in recognition of his services to journalism and the voluntary sector.
In 1994 he was awarded the Whitbread
Volunteer Action Award by Princess Michael of Kent
for outstanding service in the community.
He won the Ian Nicol Award for Health Promotion in Cambridgeshire after leading a team which pioneered and produced The Enabling Through Information Project, an information initiative which empowered parents to access appropriate services on behalf of their disabled children.
from 1972. During this time he was a lecturer in comparative religions at the Fulham and South Kensington Institute. In 1976 he was appointed Director of the London Churches Radio Workshop and producer at BBC Radio London. He was appointed as a non-stipendiary minister and later moved to Cambridge where he assisted in the Parish of the Ascension. He became Director of Communications for the Diocese of Ely
in 2002. He was Chaplain of St John's College School
from 1993 - 1998. and Christ's College, Cambridge
from 1997 - 2001 and was made an Honorary Canon of Ely Cathedral
in 2004.
During the Lent Term 2005, he was Acting Dean
of Clare College, and in 2006 was Acting Dean of Trinity Hall
. In the summer of 2007 he undertook the chaplaincy at St Catharine's College
, in the University of Cambridge
for a term.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
is perhaps best known as a television and radio news journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
over three decades, but he has also undertaken a wide range of philanthropric work as volunteer charity fundraiser, pioneer and campaigner for people with autism and other disabilities. He has received several national acolades for his voluntary work and was made a Member of the British Empire by the Queen in 2008.
As a leading student activist, he led a nationwide campaign which successfully persuaded the Government to reverse their controversial decision to increase overseas students' fees in 1967. However, he first caught the attention of the national press when he invited the legendary British criminal and escapee, Alfie Hinds, to take part in a college debate on the British justice system. Spencer-Thomas also made the news when he successfully demanded an apology from an unrepentant tabloid newspaper that was claiming children with autism would learn good manners if they were "stuck up to their necks in warm sewage".
Few people know that he combined his career with that of ordained Anglican clergyman. He was born into a farming family on 3 March 1940 in Braughing
Braughing
Braughing is a village and civil parish, between the rivers Quin and Rib, in the non-metropolitan district of East Hertfordshire, part of the English county of Hertfordshire, England...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He is married to Maggie; they have three adult children, two sons and a daughter.
Early life
After attending Christ Church Cathedral Choir SchoolChrist Church Cathedral School
Christ Church Cathedral School is a Prep and Pre-Prep, fee-paying boarding and day school for approximately 140 pupils based in Oxford, England. Steeped in music and history, the School was founded by Henry VIII in 1546 to provide choristers for Christ Church Cathedral and College. Now a Church of...
, Oxford, from the age of eight, he continued his education as a teenager at Ardingly College
Ardingly College
Ardingly College is a selective independent co-educational boarding and day school, founded in 1858 by Canon Nathaniel Woodard, included in the Tatler list of top public schools. The college is located in the village of Ardingly near Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England, having moved to its present...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
. He studied at the Royal Agricultural College
Royal Agricultural College
The Royal Agricultural College is a higher education institution located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, UK. Established in 1845, it was the first agricultural college in the English speaking world...
, 1958-1960, in Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
and spent several years working on his father's farm in Hertfordshire.
He graduated in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at The Polytechnic, Regent Street
Regent Street
Regent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London's West End, well known to tourists and Londoners alike, and famous for its Christmas illuminations...
, (now the University of Westminster
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
) where he campaigned to establish its Students' Union and became its first elected President, a sabbatical post, in 1966. The fledgling Union caught the public eye in 1967 when Spencer-Thomas invited the notorious British criminal and escapee, Alfie Hinds
Alfred George Hinds
Alfred George "Alfie" Hinds was a British criminal who, while serving a 12-year prison sentence for robbery, successfully broke out of three high security prisons...
, to take part in a College debate to give his controversial views on the flaws in the English legal system and speak about his daring jail breaks from three high security prisons. After the debate Hinds was confronted by another attempt to deprive him of his liberty. During a drink in a nearby pub, he was kidnapped by six students as part of a rag week stunt and frogmarched along a couple of streets to a basement room in the College. Hinds yet again foiled his captors after securing a bunch of keys and turning the lock on them. The ensuing publicity generated considerable interest, trebling the charitable revenue from the rag week activities.
During Spencer-Thomas's Presidency of the Students’ Union, the British government decided to increase fees for overseas students by four times in 1967, thereby making it necessary for many to return home unable to complete their courses. A high proportion of students at The Polytechnic came from overseas and Spencer-Thomas was one of the leading campaigners calling on the government to reverse its controversial decision. The hard-fought student campaign backed by a nationwide petition and demonstrations won the support of many university and college principals. As a result of the protest the government gave funding to the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
to assist those students in desperate need and make it possible for them to complete their courses in the UK.
Spencer-Thomas continued his studies at Westcott House, Cambridge
Westcott House, Cambridge
Westcott House is a Church of England theological college based in Jesus Lane located in the centre of the university city of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.Its main activity is training people for ordained ministry in Anglican churches...
and Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Fitzwilliam College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge in England.The college traces its origins back to 1869 and the foundation of the Non-Collegiate Students Board, a venture intended to offer students from less financially privileged backgrounds a chance to study...
. Both he and his wife, Margaret, are members of the high IQ Society, British Mensa
Mensa International
Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test...
. His father, Ivor Spencer-Thomas
Ivor Spencer-Thomas
Ivor Spencer-Thomas was an inveterate inventor and improviser, in the forefront of developing agriculture and market gardening as a commercial enterprise...
, a Hertfordshire farmer and famous inventor, held the feudal barony of Buquhollie and Freswick in Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. His mother was Alice Rosabel.
Media
He has wide experience in the field of communications - mainly in television and radio broadcasting as a news journalist. Joining Anglia TelevisionAnglia Television
Anglia Television is the ITV franchise holder for the East Anglia franchise region. Although Anglia Television takes its name from East Anglia, its transmission coverage extends beyond the generally accepted boundaries of that region. The station is based at Anglia House in Norwich, with regional...
in 1978 as senior reporter on the regional magazine programme About Anglia
About Anglia
About Anglia, first broadcast in 1960, is the flagship television news magazine for Anglia Television. Its original presenter was Dick Joice....
, he later became news bulletin editor of Anglia News in 1992. He also presented Anglia Television
Anglia Television
Anglia Television is the ITV franchise holder for the East Anglia franchise region. Although Anglia Television takes its name from East Anglia, its transmission coverage extends beyond the generally accepted boundaries of that region. The station is based at Anglia House in Norwich, with regional...
’s late night religious programme Reflections. He has been a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's You and Yours and Sunday programmes and has presented religious and ethics programmes on Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
and Southern Television
Southern Television
Southern Television was the first ITV broadcasting licence holder for the south and south-east of England from 30 August 1958 until the night of 31 December 1981. The company was launched as Southern Television Limited and the title Southern Television was consistently used on-air throughout its life...
. He has reported for Independent Television News
Independent Television News
ITN is a news and content provider with headquarters in the United Kingdom. It is made up of four key businesses: ITN News, ITN Source, ITN Productions and ITN Consulting. The ITN logotype can be displayed in any of 4 different colours, each of which represents a business unit. This is the...
(ITN).
He devised and presented the popular Sounding Brass
Sounding Brass
Sounding Brass was a pioneer phone-in programme presented by Gloria Hunniford on BBC Radio 2. Listeners were invited to choose a Christmas carol or hymn while a Salvation Army band, which included the famous Chalk Farm Band, stood by in the studio to play their requests live.The brass bands had a...
radio phone-in programme which was later fronted by Gloria Hunniford
Gloria Hunniford
Gloria Hunniford is a Northern Irish TV and radio presenter, and formerly a singer.-Biography:...
on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
. His radio biographies appealed to a wide audience and his portrayal in 1978 of the outspoken television personality, panellist and quizmaster, Gilbert Harding
Gilbert Harding
Gilbert Charles Harding was a British journalist and radio and television personality. His many careers included schoolmaster, journalist, policeman, disc-jockey, interviewer and television presenter...
, was widely acclaimed. He was one of the early pioneers of the local radio phone-in on BBC Radio London during the 1970s with his own programme Your Call.
An innovative programme producer, Spencer-Thomas recorded two half-hour interview programmes with Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Charles Williams was an English comic actor and comedian. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the Carry On films, and appeared in numerous British television shows, and radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne.-Life and career:Kenneth Charles Williams was born on 22 February...
in which the comic actor, who rarely revealed his private life, spoke frankly about his early days and his feelings of loneliness, despondency and underachievement. Carry On Kenneth also featured skilfully chosen clips from the famous Carry On films
Carry On films
The Carry On films are a series of low-budget British comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. They are an energetic mix of parody, farce, slapstick and double entendres....
, in which Williams starred, adding a gentle humour to the probing interview questions. Other famous celebrities he interviewed included comedian Eric Morecambe
Eric Morecambe
John Eric Bartholomew OBE , known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an English comedian who together with Ernie Wise formed the award-winning double act Morecambe and Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death of a heart attack in 1984...
, pop singer Helen Shapiro
Helen Shapiro
Helen Kate Shapiro is an English singer and actress. She is best known for her 1960s UK chart toppers, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness".-Early life:...
, children’s presenter and campaigner Floella Benjamin
Floella Benjamin
Floella Karen Yunies Benjamin, Baroness Benjamin OBE DL is a British actress, author, television presenter, businesswoman and politician...
, National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) President Arthur Scargill
Arthur Scargill
Arthur Scargill is a British politician who was President of the National Union of Mineworkers from 1982 to 2002, leading the union through the 1984–85 miners' strike, a key event in British labour and political history...
, Methodist minister and open air preacher at Speakers' Corner
Speakers' Corner
A Speakers' Corner is an area where open-air public speaking, debate and discussion are allowed. The original and most noted is in the north-east corner of Hyde Park in London, United Kingdom. Speakers there may speak on any subject, as long as the police consider their speeches lawful, although...
in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
Lord Soper and former Prime Minister John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
. He was one of the contributors to BBC's Pause for Thought and presented a series of weekend broadcasts on social issues on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
.
His documentary Underneath the Arches
Underneath the Arches (documentary)
Underneath the Arches is a documentary broadcast on BBC Radio London in 1977. The programme broke tradition by enabling London’s homeless people to tell their own stories. Underneath the Arches was presented by the homeless people themselves without any links from a programme presenter...
broke tradition by enabling London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
’s homeless people to tell their own stories without any links from a programme presenter. Instead, he used short clips from catchy music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
songs to establish each location and, with careful editing, the interviewees related their own experiences and introduced each other. The publicity boosted funds for the Crisis at Christmas campaign and brought more volunteers to the charity which used a derelict church in Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
to house and feed homeless people during Christmas week each year in the 1970s. The unique presentation of the programme won the UNDA award from the International Catholic Association for Radio and Television for the best UK religious radio programme in 1977.
However his television reporting was not all plain sailing. On 7 January 1993 he capsized a canoe which he had borrowed to film the flood stricken village of Alconbury Weston
Alconbury Weston
Alconbury Weston - in Huntingdonshire , England - is a village near Alconbury north-west of Huntingdon, lying just outside the Fens, has just a few hills, but a significant change to the flat of the Fens....
, Cambridgeshire. He and his drenched film crew were featured on ITV's It'll Be Alright on the Night
It'll be Alright on the Night
It'll be Alright on the Night is a British television bloopers show screened on ITV and produced by London Weekend Television. It was one of the first shows created with the specific purpose of showing behind the scenes bloopers from film and TV and it has been running since 18 September 1977...
.
Autism
Spencer-Thomas has been a lifetime volunteer, leading a range of community projects, supporting people in need. As father of a child with autismAutism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
, he continues to give active support, pastoral care, counselling and practical help to families with autistic children.
Speaking at The University of Westminster in 2010, he said: "...the great irony for me is that although communication has been central to almost all my work, our elder son has severe autism. (He) can neither speak, nor read, nor write. His understanding of the world around him is cruelly constrained and very different from yours or mine." He added: "... despite his lack of language, he is among those who taught me and in his own way encouraged me and my family to campaign for people with autism."
Spencer-Thomas provided a telephone listening service from his home and visited families with newly diagnosed children. He set up regular parent meetings with a children's crêche at Addenbrooke's Hospital
Addenbrooke's Hospital
Addenbrooke's Hospital is an internationally renowned teaching hospital in Cambridge, England, with strong links to the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1766 on Trumpington Street with £4,500 from the will of Dr John Addenbrooke, a fellow of St Catharine's College...
, Cambridge, and organised speakers and local conferences to enable isolated parents to learn more about autism, its treatment and the care of people with autism.
Organising the first conference in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
on the now widely acclaimed TEACCH system, he led the way to its adoption in many local schools and centres. This system, founded in 1966 by Eric Schopler
Eric Schopler
Eric Schopler was an American psychologist whose pioneering research into autism led to the foundation of the TEACCH program.-Early life:...
at the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, enhances the communication ability of people with autism and similar conditions.
Spencer-Thomas became an advocate acting on behalf of families and negotiating with local authorities the appropriate care and education for their autistic children. He raised £53,000 for a local parent support group, The Cambridgeshire Autistic Society.
He became Founder Chairman of the East Anglian Autistic Support Trust (EAST) in 1991, campaigning widely and raising the public profile and understanding of autism at a time when there was still much ignorance about the condition.
On one occasion he publicly challenged a tabloid newspaper columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
who had argued that if some children diagnosed with autism were stuck “up to their necks in a vat full of warm sewage for 10 hours they would soon learn some manners”.
EAST and other autism charities were besieged by phone calls from distressed parents following the article by Dr Vernon Coleman
Vernon Coleman
Vernon Coleman is a former general practitioner, and the author of over 100 books, including non-fiction works about human health, politics, cricket, and animal issues, and a range of novels. Son of an electrical engineer, he grew up an only child, in Walsall, West Midlands, England, where he...
, a former general practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
who was renowned for his outspoken views in his agony uncle column ‘’Casebook’’ in the Sunday People.
Spencer-Thomas, whose elder son has severe autism, condemned Coleman’s remarks as “irresponsible, medically unsound and deeply hurtful” to families that had a child with autism.
Coleman had also claimed that diagnoses of hyperactivity and autism were “misused by middle-class, aspirational parents to excuse the behaviour of their obnoxious children.”
Spencer-Thomas challenged Coleman to spend 24 hours caring for his son in the presence of fully trained carers who understood the devastating and debilitating effects of autism. Coleman declined to take up the challenge and refused to withdraw his remarks. But Spencer-Thomas had the last word when he referred the matter to the Press Complaints Commission and the newspaper’s editor, Bridget Rowe
Bridget Rowe
Bridget Rowe is a former newspaper editor in the United Kingdom.Rowe worked for a succession of magazines: 19, Petticoat, Club, Look Now and Woman's World, before becoming Assistant Editor of The Sun, then editor of "Sunday", the News of the Worlds magazine...
, printed an apology.
As well as campaigning and giving practical support to families with disabled children, Spencer-Thomas headed several successful major charity appeals. A keen cross country runner, he raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for mental health charities. During his time with EAST, he established the first, and desperately needed, specialised accommodation and daycare for adults with autism in Cambridgeshire. During the ten-year fundraising appeal, Spencer-Thomas raised 1.5 million pounds and gave nearly 1,400 talks to schools, clubs and societies on autism awareness.
He raised a further £400,000 to assist with the provision of a day centre for adults with autism. He served on the National Autistic Society
National Autistic Society
The National Autistic Society is a British charity for people with autistic spectrum disorders , including autism and Asperger's Syndrome. The purpose of the organisation is primarily to improve of the lives of people with Autism in the United Kingdom.Founded in 1962 as the Autistic Children's Aid...
(NAS) Council from 1996 until 2002.
Other voluntary work
Under the 1989 Children Act, Cambridgeshire Social Services appointed Spencer-Thomas as their first Independent VisitorIndependent Visitor
The role of Independent Visitor was created in the United Kingdom under the 1989 Children Act to befriend children and young people in care.The Act makes it a statutory requirement that children and young people who are looked after by Social Services, and who have little or no contact with their...
- another voluntary appointment in which he gave support to disabled children and their families and monitored their statutary services.
He established an educational trust in 1996, which gives grants to gifted children and young people who need additional support for their studies. The Willow Trust has supported children in both state and private education and has also supported both graduate and undergraduate students.
From 1994 until 1997 he has served on the Council of The Old Rectory School
The Old Rectory School
Centre Academy East Anglia is an independent school in Brettenham, Suffolk, founded in 1981. The school offers an exceptional educational opportunity for children with dyslexia, dyspraxia, AD/HD and related SpLD . It is well-known for its specialist, whole school approach and commitment to...
, Brettenham, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, which specialises in teaching children with dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
. He continues to raise funds for a range of other charities.
Awards
Spencer-Thomas was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 New Year HonoursNew Year Honours 2008
The New Year Honours 2008 for the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 29 December 2007, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2008....
. He was invested by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 4 March at Buckingham Palace.
The University of Westminster awarded him an honorary degree, Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) in January 2010 in recognition of his services to journalism and the voluntary sector.
In 1994 he was awarded the Whitbread
Whitbread
Whitbread PLC is a global hotel, coffee shop and restaurant company headquartered in Dunstable, United Kingdom. Its largest division is Premier Inn, which is the largest hotel brand in the UK with around 580 hotels and over 40,000 rooms. Its Costa Coffee chain has around 1,600 stores across 25...
Volunteer Action Award by Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Michael of Kent is an Austrian-Hungarian member of the British Royal Family. She is married to Prince Michael of Kent, who is a grandson of King George V....
for outstanding service in the community.
He won the Ian Nicol Award for Health Promotion in Cambridgeshire after leading a team which pioneered and produced The Enabling Through Information Project, an information initiative which empowered parents to access appropriate services on behalf of their disabled children.
University and Anglican Church appointments
He served his curacy at St Luke's Church, Redcliffe Square, KensingtonKensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
from 1972. During this time he was a lecturer in comparative religions at the Fulham and South Kensington Institute. In 1976 he was appointed Director of the London Churches Radio Workshop and producer at BBC Radio London. He was appointed as a non-stipendiary minister and later moved to Cambridge where he assisted in the Parish of the Ascension. He became Director of Communications for the Diocese of Ely
Diocese of Ely
The Diocese of Ely is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury. It is headed by the Bishop of Ely, who sits at Ely Cathedral in Ely. There is one suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon. The diocese now covers Cambridgeshire and western Norfolk...
in 2002. He was Chaplain of St John's College School
St John's College School
St John's College School is a preparatory school founded in the 17th century for the education of the choristers of St John's College, Cambridge, England. The twenty choristers continue to be educated in the school which now numbers 460 boys and girls aged 4–13.The choral tradition at the college...
from 1993 - 1998. and Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
from 1997 - 2001 and was made an Honorary Canon of Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
in 2004.
During the Lent Term 2005, he was Acting Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of Clare College, and in 2006 was Acting Dean of Trinity Hall
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
. In the summer of 2007 he undertook the chaplaincy at St Catharine's College
St Catharine's College, Cambridge
St. Catharine’s College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1473, the college is often referred to informally by the nickname "Catz".-History:...
, in the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
for a term.
External links
- http://www.btinternet.com/~owenst/index.html Official homepage
- http://www.ely.anglican.org/about/whos_who/owen_spencer-thomas.html Official site of the Diocese of Ely
- http://www.christs.cam.ac.uk/info/chapel/chaplains.html Official site of Christ’s College, Cambridge