A token speaks a thousand words

Coram, the first and longest servicing children’s charity, established as the Foundling Hospital back in 1739,  is collaborating with the National Trust in Westerham to bring primary aged children a unique opportunity.

Every child left in the Foundling Hospital’s care back in 1700s in London but also the Westerham branch (Wellstreet – a National Trust property) were left with a token from their birth mother, as a form of identification.

Why take part?

This cross-curricular project blends history, art, and the themes of belonging and identity. Developed by Coram Life Education and SCARF, the activity supports children’s wellbeing through the mindful practice of crafting.

It aligns with the National Curriculum:

• History KS2: Encourages exploration of connections, contrasts, and trends over time, and the development of historically valid questions.
• Art KS2: Supports creative expression and proficiency in art, craft, and design techniques.
• A free downloadable toolkit is available via the SCARF website to guide teachers and carers through the session.

Download toolkit

About the Tokens

Upon admission to the Foundling Hospital, children were given new names to protect their identities. Mothers could leave a token—a small item folded into a billet (a note recording identifying details)—to help reclaim their child if circumstances changed. These tokens were stored securely and used to confirm identity if a reunion was possible. Many children never knew if a token had been left for them.

About Coram

Established as the Foundling Hospital in 1739, today we are a vibrant group of specialist charities and organisations, supporting hundreds of thousands of children, young people and families every year. At Coram, we champion children’s rights and wellbeing, and make lives better through legal support, advocacy, adoption and our therapeutic, education and cultural programmes. Creating skills for the future, Coram is the leading provider of health, wellbeing, relationship, and drugs education to hundreds of thousands of primary school children across the UK, developing SCARF programmes to support schools with mandatory RSE requirements in the national curriculum.

About Westerham Branch of the Foundling Hospital

Thomas Ellison, a governor of the Foundling Hospital, owned a house in Westerham town called Spiers, known today as Quebec House. Ellison also owned a house named Wellstreet two miles outside town. It is now Chartwell, the former home of Sir Winston Churchill.

Terms and Conditions

1.  Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these rules and any separate instructions for entry will form part of the rules.
2.  Competition open date is 12:00 on 6 October 2025 and closes 12:00 on 21 November 2025.
3.  Entry into the prize draw is open to anyone entering on behalf of a child aged 4 – 11.
4.  By reading these terms, you agree that the winning child’s creation is submitted by a nominated adult, and the completer of this application form.
5.  To enter, entrants must complete the form submitting an attachment containing photos of the finished tokens, including the first initial, age and school of each child who created the token.
6.  The tokens must then be sent to Marketing, Coram Campus, 41 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ
7.  469 token entries will be selected at random and then displayed in the National Trust property, Quebec House. The Promoter reserves the right to offer an alternative prize in the unlikely event that the original prize is unavailable. Prizes are non-negotiable, non-transferable and there is no cash alternative.
8.  The winners will be chosen by Coram and the National Trust Quebec House team at random during the month of December 2025.
9.  The associated school contact and nominated adult of the token designs chosen will be notified of the selected token designs in order to notify the children involved that their token will be on display in the Coach House at Quebec House, Westerham, Kent, TN16 1TD) from April 2026, throughout the year.
10.  We will choose a selection of entries to be posted anonymously on Coram’s social media, using the child’s first initial and age alongside a photo of their token.
11.   All tokens must be no larger than A6 (10cm by 15cm) and that they are fabric-based. We recommend reusing materials to be sustainable.
12.  Competition data will be kept for a maximum of 2 months for the purposes of finalising winners and details, after which period it will be deleted.
13.  By entering the draw, entrants agree that if they win, their details (school and child’s initial) may be disclosed to anyone requesting details of the prize winners.
14.  Details of the winners will be available after 1 January 2026 by sending a stamped address envelope to Coram, 41 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ
15.  Promoter: Coram, 41 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ