Budapest to Birmingham (1986 – 1995)

In 1986 Dr Andrew Sutton a psychologist from the University of Birmingham was instrumental in establishing a charity to bring Conductive Education, from Hungary to the UK. This charity was called The Foundation for Conductive Education (no: 295873).

In 1987 an agreement was signed between the Foundation for Conductive Education and the Peto Institute in Hungary which provided a formal channel for CE to be established in the UK.

In September 1987 The Birmingham Institute of Conductive Education was established with the first 10 children. In January 1988 these children went to Hungary for six months, with their parents, to start the process of learning through Conductive Education.

As a part of the Hungarian agreement 10 British trained teachers also went to Budapest in November 1987 to embark on a four year training course to become qualified conductors.

In 1990 Bob Hoskins presented a video called “A Gift from Hungary” outlining the work of Conductive Education at the Birmingham Institute.

On the 4^th December 1990 Diana, Princess of Wales became the Royal Patron for the charity and subsequently visited on 22 October 1991 to launch an appeal to build a new institute.

This appeal was successful and in October 1995 HRH Princess Diana opened the new ‘National Institute of Conductive Education’ at its current home in Moseley, Birmingham. Princess Diana remained a patron of the charity until a few years before her death.

The National Institute of Conductive Education (NICE) was by this time offering services across the whole lifespan including cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, stroke and acquired head injury.