Five families from East Surrey Hospital's children's services went to Disneyland Paris in a London taxi convoy, leaving Redhill at 4am on 25 September.

Five children cared for by the paediatric team at East Surrey Hospital have been to Disneyland Paris, driven there in a convoy of London black cabs. Their families went with them on the three-day trip.

The Children’s Magical Taxi Tour, a charity run by London cab drivers, asked the hospital’s trust to nominate five families for this year’s convoy. The trust described the trip in a news release on 5 October.

A 4am start in Redhill

The families met outside the main entrance of East Surrey Hospital at 4am on Friday 25 September. From there they went to Canary Wharf for the charity’s “Big Breakfast”, the send-off for hundreds of children, families and volunteer drivers from across the UK.

The convoy then drove to Dover, took a P&O ferry to Calais and carried on to Disneyland Paris. The trust says it was escorted by:

  • City of London Police
  • French Gendarmerie motorcycle officers
  • the AA
  • London Ambulance Service

The trust says crowds gathered along the route to wave the taxis through. The convoy came home on Sunday 27 September, according to the charity.

What the families said

The trust published comments from three parents after the trip. One father said:

“The most amazing time, thank you. It’s such an incredible charity, everyone involved really touched our hearts. I will be forever thankful for the opportunity we were given to be part of something so special. It really was a trip I will never forget.”

A mother said: “We had such an amazing weekend! Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity. Everything was so beautifully organised and we truly felt so special and well taken care of.”

Another mother said the “amount of effort and thought put into the weekend is incredible”.

Who runs the tour

The tour has taken children with serious and life-limiting illnesses to Disneyland Paris every year since 1994. It is organised by the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers and is a registered charity, number 1172474.

The charity’s own figures (Magical Taxi Tour):

Taxis Children
First trip, 1994 50 100
Millennium year, 2000 125 250
All trips to date 2,700 almost 5,400

A typical convoy is now more than 90 taxis carrying over 200 children, and can stretch more than three miles (The Trip). The drivers give their time and their cabs for free, and every helper is a volunteer. Sponsors and donors pay £1,500 per taxi to cover food, travel and entry to the park.

The charity says the families “would not be able to undertake this trip alone”, and that only the convoy, with medical support travelling alongside, makes it possible.

What it means for you

  • You cannot apply for a place. Families on this year’s trip were nominated by the hospital trust at the charity’s invitation. If your child is under the care of the trust’s children’s services, their team is the route in.
  • The next tour is 10 to 12 September 2027, the charity says.
  • You can help pay for a taxi. The charity takes donations through JustGiving, linked from its website, and businesses can sponsor a cab.

East Surrey Hospital, on Canada Avenue in Redhill, is run by Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. Earlier this month we reported on the hospital’s new same-day cardiology unit.