UK's first nurse league celebrates 125 years
St Bartholomew’s Hospital nurses past and present gathered in our West Wing on 4 December to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the oldest nurses league in the United Kingdom.
The Barts League of Nurses was established in 1899 by Isla Stewart, a St Bartholomew's matron between 1887 and 1910 and one of the founder members of the International Council of Nurses.
In the late nineteenth century, the League’s aims included ‘maintain[ing] a high standard of work and conduct’, for ‘mutual help and pleasure’ and to ‘promote the establishment of a fund for the relief of former nurses of Barts who are in distressed circumstances.’
125 years later and the League remains in rude health, with 2,500 members worldwide.
It still offers scholarships and benevolent funding to those in need.
Representatives from the League including current President Elizabeth Wood-Dow OBE were invited to attend the hospital Christmas nurse board, which took place place at 3pm on Wednesday 4 December, exactly 125 years after the original League committee met in the Sister’s Lounge at the hospital for the very first time.
Barts Health lead archivist Kate Jarman gave a fascinating talk on ‘Nursing at Barts’ and League members spoke about their important work to help present day healthcare workers.
Director of Nursing David Curran said: “It was a great opportunity to strengthen the relationship between our current workforce and the League of Nurses, whose oldest member is 105!”
As well as preserving the history of nursing at Barts and providing vital support for nurses in need, the League encourages social interaction by organising events for members and through a network of volunteers who visit frail or isolated members.
More information about the League can be found online.
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