Lou Sladen
British youth leader
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Louis Sladen known as Lou Sladen (died 1 January 1996) was a senior youth leader in the United Kingdom and member of the British Red Cross.[3]
Lou Sladen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Louis Sladen 1918 or 1919[1] |
| Died | (aged 77) Littlebredy, Dorset |
| Other names | Uncle Lou |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | ‒1980s |
| Known for |
|
| Spouse |
Peggy Harrington (m. 1945) |
| Children | 2[2] |
World War II
Warrant officer Louis Sladen flew as a Royal Air Force pilot during World War II.[1] While piloting a Vickers Wellington bomber on 20 April 1941 he was shot down over North Africa[4] or the Middle East.[5] By 3 May 1941 he had been reported missing.[6] After being captured, Sladen was held at various German prisoner-of-war camps in World War II.[5] He met Douglas Bader while held at Stalag Luft III.[4][5] Sladen had been organising sports at the prisoner of war camp.[4]
Youth work
Kendal
Between 1947‒1949 Lou Sladen was leader of Kendal Lad's club.[5]
Leamington Spa
By April 1951, Sladen had been working at as the club leader at Leamington Boys' Club for 21 months.[1]
East London
During the mid-1950s, Sladen was general secretary of Mansfield House University Settlement for seven years.[7][2][5]
Wales
In the late-1950s Lou Sladen had trained the first trial round of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE) gold award winners in Monmouthshire, Wales; and on the Brecon Beacons.[8][9]
From 1959 Sladen was field officer of the Welsh Association of Youth Clubs (later: Youth Cymru),[8][10] responsible for arranging lectures and training programmes.[2] In June 1960 The Duke of Edinburgh's Award was expanded for girls and led by Kathleen Ellum in Pontypool, with Sladen directing the programme for the Monmouthshire Federation of Youth Clubs.[8]
From January‒May 1961 Sladen ran a young leader training programme in Newport.[11]
In mid-1962, Sladen left the Welsh Association of Youth Clubs,[12] and took up a similar post covering Devon and Cornwall.[10]
Dorset
In 1964, Sladen was working for the National Association of Youth Clubs, including covering the Wiltshire area.[13]
In 1965, Sladen was the leader of camp activities during a conference held at Butlin's Minehead.[14] During the visit of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, Lou Sladen and Billy Butlin escorted the royal visitors.[14]
As of 1966[update], Sladen remained South West Regional Officer, of the National Association of Youth Clubs.[15]
Dorchester
During the mid-1970s Sladen was the leader at Colliton Street Youth Club in Dorchester.[16] In 1979[17] he retired as leader at the Colliton Street Youth Centre in Dorchester.[18] In 1980 Sladen returned to the Colliton Street Youth Centre to present medals.[19]
In 1999, a room at Dorchester's new youth centre on King's Road, was named "The Lou Sladen Community Room".[20][21] The room features a four-square-metre giant chess board.[21]
Red Cross
During September 1979, Sladen was appointed by the Dorset branch of the British Red Cross Society as its youth and junior's officer.[5]
Family
Louis Sladen's parents worked in confectionery in Llantrisant, Glamorgan, Wales.[6] His father was J. Sladen,[22] who on 9 June 1906 father rescued an unconscious five-year-old child from the Glamorganshire Canal.[23]
After the end of World War II, Sladen was engaged to Peggy (née Harrington), also from Llantrisant, in June 1945.[22] Sladen was married to Peggy Sladen until his death at the beginning of 1996.[24] Peggy Sladen had been matron at the cottage hospital in Lyme Regis from 1962‒1974.[24] They had a daughter Janie Gray and grandson Simon Baines;[20] plus another daughter Nerissa Douglas, and granddaughter Clare.[25] The Douglas part of the family emigrated to Canada in 1973. [26]
Lou Sladen died aged 77 on 1 January 1996 at home in Littlebredy, Dorset.[27] A thanksgiving service was held later on 12 January 1996 at St Michael and All Angels Church, Littlebredy, with a collection for the RAF Benevolent Fund.[27] Sladen's wife Peggy Sladen died aged 79, at Dorset County Hospital, on 26 June 2001.[25] Their daughter Nerissa died on 13 January 2026, also aged 79—in Guelph, Canada, where Nerissa had lived since 1975.[26][28]
In 1976, Sladen was fined £20 for driving over the speed limit.[29]