User talk:Barguf/sandbox

--Barguf (talk) 10:01, 7 August 2014 (UTC)Subject: The First Chairman of "The Foundation for Conductive Education" and signing of the original agreement between "The Peto Institute" in Hungary and "The Foundation."

There are certain things that you do in your life of which you are very proud. You do not want to shout it from the roof tops, but to have no record of that moment seems to trivialize it. The signing of the first agreement between the "Peto Institute" in Hungary and the "Foundation for Conductive Education" in Birmingham was a historical landmark.

This agreement was the first of its kind in the world regarding Conductive Education and took hours of hard work, dedication and determination. Many people were involved in the process and there were times when the whole thing seemed impossible. Finances were strained and in many ways it like trying to take somebody else's baby.

The agreement to bring Conductive Education to the UK was signed in Budapest at the Peto Institute on Feburary 20th 1987.

It was signed by the first Chairman of the Foundation Mr Simon Barugh and the Directors of both the Peto Institute Dr Maria Hari and the Foundation Mr Andrew Sutton. Also present throughout was Mr Mike Jarman who represented Barnardo's.

This whole process was done with the help and support of Birmingham City Council (Education Department).

This was the first of many such agreements which meant that "Conductive Education" could be made available in other places across the world, bringing help to sufferers of Cerebral Palsy, Parkinson's and other debilitating disorders.

Much of the negotiation and discussion was through an interpreter (Tade Alfoldy - First Secretary of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs) which made complex clauses and finite detail even more difficult. At one point it seemed that we were never going to reach an agreement and it was only when Dr Hari saw a small green teddy bear in my briefcase that the situation improved.

My son had asked me to take the little bear to bring me luck and keep me safe and upon hearing this I think that there was a realization that I was present for humane reasons rather than business or financial gain - this was the correct appraisal.

Immediately after this unusual distraction things improved and we managed to reach a satisfactory conclusion - thank goodness!

I visited the Foundation a few months ago after a number of years of non attendance. Everything is going onwards and upwards with more adult attendance than ever before, it was a wonderful reflection on the past efforts of so many people.