The HomesFounded in 1900, the Dr Graham’s Homes campus is situated on a ridge in the Himalayas. Discover what life is like at the school for our sponsored pupils.
Before you see it, you hear it. The sound of small voices, of laughter and play, drifting across the school campus. Then you round a corner and there it is – the Lucia King nursery, modest in size, immeasurable in purpose.
For nearly 120 years, this little institution has been the first safe harbour for the tiniest souls in Dr Graham's Homes' care. Children who have lost their parents, have been abandoned, or whose families can’t afford to care for them or fund their education.
Some of these children are very young when they arrive. The nursery accepts infants and toddlers. Our youngest alumnus, who now works with the sponsored children, was just nine days old when she first came to the Homes. All the children are here thanks to the generous support of sponsors in the UK and around the world.
So what is life like at Lucia King – and how did it all begin? Here’s everything you need to know about this amazing institution.
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A home within a home
Like the other Cottages sprinkled across the campus, Lucia King is designed to foster a sense of belonging. The children live in three family-style bedrooms that are carefully laid out to provide a safe and reassuring environment. During the day, they share meals, play together and, when they turn three years old, attend the on-site Montessori nursery school. At night, two dedicated staff members are on hand to support them if they need help. Everything is designed to help the children feel settled and protected. Ultimately, the nursery acts as a springboard for the main school. At the age of five, the children move out of Lucia King to join their mixed-age Cottage family, ready to start their education proper.
A rich history
Dr Graham’s nursery first opened its doors on 24 September 1910, ten years to the day after the Homes itself was born. It was created to fulfil a growing need. Young people who had lost their parents or been abandoned by their communities were coming to Kalimpong in ever greater numbers; the first Cottage housed six children, but by 1910 the numbers had swelled to more than 300. Many children who desperately needed help were months or even weeks old. It was these youngsters who Dr Graham and his wife, Katherine, wanted to support through a new, specialist cottage on the Kalimpong campus.
An extraordinary achievement
Like so many things at the Homes, the nursery owed its existence to Dr Graham’s never-say-die fundraising energy! You can catch a glimpse of this in the recollections of DGHUK supporters Caroline and Andrew, who have a unique family link to Lucia King. “Andrew’s grandfather and Dr Graham shared a bachelor flat,” Caroline explains. “This was before he started his famous school, but even then he [Dr Graham] was very adept at encouraging his many friends to donate towards his plans! In the end, grandpa donated the cottage at the school that became the Lucia King nursery.”
Colours and symbols
If you visit Lucia King today, the first thing you’ll notice are the “three colours”. Each bedroom is painted either Pink, Blue or Green. This is another innovation that’s designed to help the children feel part of a close-knit family – they can identify their own little group by the colour. Because the infants are too young to read their own names, the nursery also uses a visual system to help them identify their belongings. Each child is given a symbol, such as a picture of a ball, an engine, or a doll. This symbol is placed on their colour-coordinated cot, their towel, and even the spot where they keep their toothbrush in the bathroom. It’s a simple but effective way of giving the children a sense of independence in their new surroundings.
Nurses and Aunties
Lucia King is staffed by “Aunties”, nurses and the Matron-in-Charge, who between them provide round-the-clock care to the children. Trainee nurses live alongside the children, acting as surrogate mothers through meals, playtime and learning. Over two years, they work towards a prestigious childcare certificate. It’s this combination of professional training and maternal warmth that makes the nursery such a grounded environment for its youngest residents. Indeed, some nursery graduates have gone on to work in some remarkable households, including the home of former PM Indira Gandhi.
Famous visitors
Many visitors to DGH have fallen in love with the nursery and its work with the children. Some of those guests have been quite famous. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, toured the Homes on 30 April 1952. A well-known champion of children (his birthday is celebrated every year in India as “Children’s Day”), Nehru insisted on seeing the nursery babies during his visit. He was accompanied by his daughter, later Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, who visited the Homes again in 1972. Nehru’s sister, the politician and freedom fighter Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, also visited Lucia King in 1968. Another celebrated visitor was Lady Edwina Mountbatten, an early patron of the Homes.
Nurse and infant in the 1960s
Nehru and daughter Indira Gandhi visit the Homes, 1952
A child’s-eye view
Growing up at Lucia King is a special experience and one that, understandably, remains with the children for life. Ultimately, the nursery exists to help them find a security they may not have experienced before and to build a brighter future for themselves – to help them feel loved and protected, so they can take the next steps in their journey through school and, with the help of an Extended Sponsorship, to further education and a fulfilling career.
That’s a story that one of our recent graduates, Cynderella, can identify with. “I remember the kindness of the Aunties and older sisters when I first joined the Lucia King kindergarten,” she recalls. “Starting school was exciting and scary at the same time. I was nervous about keeping up, but the teachers were patient and gentle. Over time, I came to love learning and I think those early moments really planted the seed for the dreams I’m now chasing.”
Sponsor a child at Lucia King
If you would be interested in helping a vulnerable child come to live and study at Dr Graham’s Homes, we’d love to hear from you. You can sponsor a child individually, with a group of friends, or by providing a one-off donation. You’ll find lots more detail about the scheme in our Sponsor a Child section. Or you can get in touch with us directly on our Contact page. We will be delighted to answer any questions you have.
Sponsoring a child at the Homes is an incredibly worthwhile thing to do. As Cynderella explains, it’s genuinely life-changing:
“It gives a child hope, a sense of being cared for, and motivation to keep striving. I know from my own experience how much it meant to me to have someone believe in my future. Sponsorship is more than just financial support – it’s a gift of opportunity and encouragement.”
👇 Find out how you can start a sponsorship
Sponsorship is more than just financial support – it’s a gift of opportunity
Discover more about the Lucia King nursery
Keen to learn more about Lucia King, its history and the inspiring work it does with children today? You may find these resources helpful.
From Lucia King to college: a sponsored child’s journey
Cynderella first arrived at the Homes when she was around three years old, taking her very first steps in the Lucia King kindergarten. Thanks to the support of her sponsors, she progressed through the school and is now studying at a further education college in Kolkata. Remembering her early days in the nursery, she says, “They took really good care of me and made me feel like I belonged.” Read Cynderella’s story
The nursery in WW2: a soldier’s diary
During the Second World War, a young Scottish soldier named Stephen Dick spent a period of leave volunteering at the Homes and helping the nursery staff. In a letter sent home to his family in 1944, he recorded the joyous experience of decorating the cottage late on Christmas Eve to surprise the orphans. “The kids were altogether amazed and couldn’t understand it,” he wrote. Read the full story
Cynderella joined the nursery aged about three
Stephen visited Lucia King during World War II
Life at Lucia King in the 1960s: a photo archive
Scottish nurse Alison Clark dedicated a decade of her life to caring for the infants at Lucia King during the 1960s. After she passed away, her family uncovered an archive of her photos, capturing everyday moments from her time at the nursery. As her brother Ian recalls, “The Homes enabled my sister to fulfil a long-held dream of working with children and improving their lives.” Read Alison’s story
A peek inside the kindergarten
The official school website has a section dedicated to Lucia King, its work and background. It includes a short video that takes viewers on a tour of the kindergarten quarters where the children live. “This small island of hope and love looks with confidence to the challenges ahead while never relinquishing the invisible threads tying it to Reverend Dr John Anderson Graham's great dream that led to its birth more than a hundred years ago,” it explains. See the school’s Lucia King page
The nursery children gather for a photo in the 1960s
Visit the school website for more detail about Lucia King
Who was Lucia King?
The nursery takes its name from the woman who helped make it a reality nearly 120 years ago. We don’t know very much about Lucia King’s life, other than that she lived in Kolkata for many years and left India some time in 1908, while continuing to raise funds for the orphanage. We do know, however, that she was a tireless supporter of John Graham and his vision for a “Children’s City” for vulnerable young people. “By means of her indefatigable energy, and the exercise of her very considerable talents, she realised… the sum of £1,000 yearly” for the Homes, explained Board of Management President F.A. Slacke, at the official opening of the nursery in 1910. Lucia King was, clearly, a remarkable figure in the history of the Homes – her legacy has borne fruit in the lives of countless young people over the decades.
Sponsored children from the tea plantations, 1901
Lucia King: a timeline
- 1908 – Lucia King begins her major fundraising drive in Kolkata
- 1910 – The Lucia King Cottage is officially inaugurated on 24th September, the Homes’ 10th anniversary
- 1929 – The cottage is extended thanks to a gift from Sir Thomas and Lady Smith of Cawnpore
- 1933 – A five-month-old infant called Norman Hutchinson arrives at the nursery. He will go on to become a famous artist who painted a memorable portrait of Queen Elizabeth II
- 1952 – Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, visits the Homes and is given a tour of the kindergarten.
- 1973 – Prime Minister Indira Gandhi (Nehru’s daughter, who accompanied him on the 1952 visit), drops by to visit the nursery. She will later employ one of its nurses in her own home.
- 1990s – Norman Hutchinson funds the restoration of the chapel at Lucia King, naming it after his wife, Gloria
- 2010 – The nursery proudly celebrates its centenary, marking 100 years of care for vulnerable children at DGH
- Today – The cottage continues to care for the children under the watchful eye of mistress-in-charge Aiti Rai
The HomesFounded in 1900, the Dr Graham’s Homes campus is situated on a ridge in the Himalayas. Discover what life is like at the school for our sponsored pupils.