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“Cheshire Disability Trust is a part of the Leonard Cheshire Disability Global Alliance. An NGO for the disabled in Bangalore, India committed to improving the lives of disabled individuals like me.”
An Overview

An Overview

Cheshire Disability Trust (CDT) is a member of the Leonard Cheshire Disability Global Alliance, a worldwide organization striving to better the lives of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) through economic independence and self-reliance. From the time of its inception, CDT has impacted the lives of over 3,807 people by helping them earn a living and reintegrating them into society. To achieve this, CDT focuses on employability training and placement for PWDs aged 19 to 35.

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Mission & Vision

Mission & Vision

According to the Census Report of 2011, there are 26.8 million people in India who have some form of disability, of which only a small percentage are employed. This startling statistic highlights the challenges faced by these individuals in finding employment to improve their standard of living. To help them achieve their economic independence, CDT's Mission & Vision revolves around improving their quality of life through training programs specially designed to impart the critical skills employers are looking for.

History

History

Group Captain Leonard Cheshire was a bomber pilot in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He was awarded the United Kingdom's highest gallantry award - the Victoria Cross - for his gallantry during the war. After the war, he founded the organisation that we know today as Leonard Cheshire Disability after realising the need to give back to society and aid the sheer number of people disabled by the War. Leonard Cheshire Disability is a global NGO (of which CDT is a part) with presence in 54 countries worldwide. For his humanitarian work, Group Captain Cheshire was elevated to the Peerage by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth and was awarded the United Kingdom's highest civilian award, the Order of Merit.

Group Captain Leonard Cheshire came to India in 1956 and established the first Cheshire Home in India, at Mumbai to provide lifelong residential care for PWDs. Today there are 19 active homes in India. CDT was established in 2011 to enable PWDs to become economically independent. This was done through employability training, occupational placement, and post-placement support. Today CDT has impacted the lives of over 3,807 PWDs at Bangalore and other locations in the country.

<span class="arial-quote">“</span><span class="mx_quote_text">Through the holistic development of the disabled, CDT aims to improve their quality of life, eliminate the barriers that hinder them and give them access to their basic rights</span><span class="arial-quote">”</span>

“Through the holistic development of the disabled, CDT aims to improve their quality of life, eliminate the barriers that hinder them and give them access to their basic rights”

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“CDT's Trustees are an inspiration and the lynchpin that hold the organization and its values together.”
Mr. Sudipto Das
Mr. Sudipto Das
Connected to Bangalore Cheshire Home through his parents, Gp Captain Suranjan Das and Mrs. Veronica Das, studied at La Martiniere, Calcutta, and graduated from IIT Kharagpur in Mechanical Engineering. He worked with multinational companies, including a pioneering cellular company in Chennai. After 18 years with Verizon Wireless in the US, he returned to India to engage in select projects.
Mr. John Mathew
Mr. John Mathew
A Chartered Accountant with over 35 years in FMCG, including 22 years at Unilever, 11 at Coca-Cola, and 2 at Colgate Palmolive. Led Commercial Management & Governance at Unilever and ensured global governance at Coca-Cola. Retired as Director, Corporate Audit in 2016. Served on the Boards of the Institute of Internal Auditors, Bombay, and the Cathedral & John Connon School. Currently leads governance for two Bangalore NGOs supporting differently-abled individuals.
Ms. Sujata Puranik Rakhra
Ms. Sujata Puranik Rakhra
A graduate in Statistics and Economics with a post-graduate degree in Business Administration from IIM Calcutta, she has extensive experience in marketing and strategy consulting. She has led Vibrandt Strategic Consulting, directed global branding at Dell, and taught brand management at TAPMI. With notable roles at AC Nielsen, Unilever, and HCL Technologies, she also contributes to Bangalore's civic initiatives and children's education pro bono.
Mr. Robinder Singh Sodhi
Mr. Robinder Singh Sodhi
He is a seasoned financial professional with 32 years in financial services, including 25 years with HSBC and ABN AMRO/RBS. He holds a Business Management diploma from XLRI and a BA in Economics from Delhi University. Formerly head of RBS's Corporate & Institutional Bank for South India, since 2017 he has been advising and mentoring start-ups in Bangalore on raising capital and business growth.
Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar
Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar, PVSM  AVSM  VM  IAF (Retd)
From the time of his commissioning as a Pilot Officer in 1962 till his retirement as an Air Marshal in 2001, he has had a track record of distinguished service as a Test Pilot and Administrator. Post retirement, he has been active with Cheshire Homes India since 2013 and is currently the Vice-Chairman of CDT. He is also the Chairman of Cheshire Homes India (Bangalore Unit) and the National Council of Cheshire Homes India.
Mr. Rana M. Philip
Mr. Rana M. Philip
An alumnus of the Doon School, St. Stephens College, IMI Geneva and the School of Business Administration in Western Ontario, Mr. Philip retired as Deputy Managing Director of the Indian Aluminium Company; the largest multinational aluminium company in India at the time. He has served as Chairman of CHI Bangalore and CHI National Council and is presently the Chairman of CDT. He was instrumental in setting up the Livelihood Program in India.
Mr. Chandy Koshy
Mr. Chandy Koshy
A Post Graduate Diploma in Management holder from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Mr. Koshy has worked for the better part of 29 years with large multinationals such as Deutsche Bank, Citibank, Bank of America and Tata Motors. Post-retirement in 2013, he has been closely associated with Cheshire Homes India, The National Council and Cheshire Disability Trust as its Honorary Treasurer, among other roles.
Mr. Anup Kuruvilla
Mr. Anup Kuruvilla
An Investment Banker for over 35 years, Mr. Kuruvilla has worked with large multinational banks such as Citibank, ABN Amro and Royal Bank of Scotland across various international markets. A member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, he uses his experience as a venture capital firm founder; 1Crowd, to aid Cheshire Disability Trust and the Cheshire Homes India National Council as their Honorary Treasurer.
Mr. Venkata Subramaniam Radhakrishnan
Mr. Venkata Subramaniam Radhakrishnan
An alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and a Chartered Associate of the Indian Institute of Bankers, Mr. Radhakrishnan started his banking career with HSBC. After HSBC and ING Vysya Bank, he spent time as MD and CEO of Janalakshmi, a micro-finance institution. He was also the Chairman of AKMI, a state-level industry body and Vice-President of MFIN, a national level industry body.
Mr. P. M. John
Mr. P. M. John
A Chartered Accountant by profession, Mr. John has been a Senior Partner at P.M John & Company for well over 35 years. In his long and distinguished career, he has had numerous close associations with the YMCA and currently serves as the Senior Trustee of the Board of Governors of St. Peters School in Mumbai and a Trustee of the Children of the World (India) Trust in Mumbai.