John Yearley (Tr 56) – Child safety expert who set up charity in Nepal

The Haileybury Society is saddened to learn of the death of John Albert Yearley (Tr 56) who has died on on 10th August 2023, aged 80.

John epitomised the Haileybury ethos of Spirit of Service and is well-known amongst the Haileybury community for his hugely important work with impoverished children in Nepal via his charity, the Yearley Trust. 

Early life

John was born in Leicester in 1943, his family moving there to avoid the bombing in London. After the war the family eventually settled in Surrey; John attended Downsend School near Leatherhead before joining Haileybury in 1956. In1962, he joined Shell Mex and BP who sponsored his place at University Imperial College where he studied Engineering.

Consultancy and child safety

John was later to take a Postgraduate Diploma in Economics and Company Law at the University of the South Bank which led, in 1971, to him setting up  a Management Consultancy which had offices in Birmingham and Sheffield. In 1980, he sold his stake in company and moved to Oxfordshire and for a while worked promoting sport in rural communities during which time, he also became an expert in child safety.

In 1990 he bought a small company and used it to develop an inspection service of places where children and young people play, later expanding the work to include Skateboarding and BMX parks. After building the business into the largest of its type in the UK, John retired and handed the running of the company over to his son David and his daughter Elizabeth who have continued to expand the business. 

Serving Nepal – John Ba and the Yearley Trust

In 2017, John established the Yearley Trust, a charity which has had a transformative effect on the rural communities it serves in Nepal.

John, known affectionately as “John ba” by the community he served, was deeply passionate about the charity and its work, frequently travelling to Nepal and campaigning on its behalf.

Serving sport

At Haileybury, John had particularly enjoyed rugby (he was XXX captain in 1960). This passion later went on to develop into him working as a coach and qualified referee.

He was also to coach athletics (including in particular members of the Great Britain athletics team) and organised a number of county athletic championships. An announcer at several major athletic events, John was also a qualified field official and time keeper.

Funeral arrangements

John’s wife Christine sadly predeceased him; The Haileybury Society sends its deepest condolences to his children Susan, David, Elizabeth and Anna at this difficult time.

Please note, we are awaiting further information about John’s funeral and more information about his life and career. We will publish this information in due course.

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