Businessman Norman Thody, whose own son Grahame lives independently with disability at his flat in Burgess Hill, fought for years against planning obstacles and old-fashioned ideas about the way disabled people should be cared for.

His ideas revolutionised the way the public viewed disabled people, changing them from objects of patronising sympathy to people who, although physically handicapped, were making the best use of their abilities.

Mr Thody and his original team never received or sought public recognition in the way of honours like the OBE or MBE for their outstanding work.

But their early campaigning against the odds saw The Disabled Housing Trust charity that Norman Thody founded grow into the modern Disabilities Trust with its headquarters in Burgess Hill and centres all over the UK.

As the Trust celebrates its milestone anniversary and meets modern challenges nationwide Mr Thody tells the Middy from his retirement home in Cyprus of his pride in what the staff and residents are achieving.