The Deacon Centre was established in 2020 in Caterham, Surrey, and is named after long-term local resident Joey Deacon who was born exactly 100 years earlier and who lived in the Caterham hospital for his entire adult life.

Joey was able to write and publish his autobiography Tongue Tied in the 1970s, despite being born with a very severe form of Cerebral Palsy - that saw him instutionalised and largely 'written off by the system' because he was unable to communicate in a conventional way.

Today the East Surrey area has many residential care facilities and a high concentration of Service Users with Physical, Mental, Learning and Communication disabilities, including Cerebral Palsy, Brain injury, severe Autism and Epilepsy.

Following Joey's example of triumph over adversity, we were set up provide 'creative spaces' where these Service Users - and their carers/support workers - can participate in Creative Writing, Art, Music, Drama and other fulfilling, life-enhancing activities where they can express themselves. We provide opportunities for self-actualisation; for people to really live, rather than merely 'exist'.

Believe. Achieve.

For further information, visit www.deaconcentre.org.uk