Celebrating our 60th anniversary
26th January, 2023
As our 60th anniversary year begins, we look back at the history of the Friends of Moorfields.
1963: The Beatles have their first number one hit, a series called Doctor Who starts on the BBC, Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space – and on one May evening, a public meeting is held to launch a new organisation called the Friends of Moorfields.
We’ve come a long way since then – we started with 57 subscribing members and 103 donors, a grand total of £250 (around £6,700 in today’s money) in our bank account, and a plan to recruit 30 volunteers at each of three main sites. Today, we have over 800 members, around 250 volunteers across several sites, and a broad range of activities and services.
Though some things have changed, plenty hasn’t. Our original objective, set out in that first meeting, was:
“The raising of money to be spent on increasing the comfort of patients and the nursing staff, outside allocation provided by the Ministry of Health, and the recruitment of volunteers to help in the many ways which are of infinite importance to the happiness and general welfare of the patients, many of whom for shorter or longer periods are unable to see.”
The details may be different – our volunteers no longer write letters for patients or bring them the telephone trolley – but the aim is the same. Our new vision is that everyone who comes to Moorfields, for whatever reason, has the best possible experience.
That could mean organising morale-boosting events for staff, providing patients and their loved ones with information on support services, helping them find their way around the hospital, reassuring them during their visit, or providing those little touches – like flower beds and fish tanks – that make the hospital a friendlier place to be.
Throughout the year, we’ll be sharing monthly stories from the history of the Friends, delving into our past projects and meeting some of the people who helped get us where we are today. Plus, look out for more exciting news to come about how we’re celebrating this milestone.