May 2012: Article entitled 'Mary Seacole: nursing care in many lands' by Professor Elizabeth Anionwu published in British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, (May 2012) Vol 6; Number 5; pages244-248.

Planning permission granted!

On Tuesday 24th April 2012, Lambeth Council gave planning permission for the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue to be located in the grounds of St Thomas' Hospital in London. The focus must now be on raising the remaining funds needed!

Please make a donation via: www.justgiving.com/maryseacolememorial/donate

OR become a 'Friend of Mary' by making a minimum annual donation of £20 per year via:

http://www.justgiving.com/friendsofmaryseacole

THANK YOU!

Please register your support online (before 15th April 2012) for planning application to Lambeth Council for the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue design to be located in the grounds of St Thomas' Hospital.  How?

1. Click on http://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/online-applications/

2. Put in St Thomas' Hospital in simple search box

3. Choose 'Erection of a memorial statue dedicated to the life and work of Mary Seacole within the gardens of St Thomas Hospital.'  from the list.

4. Go to comments, register and place your comment online.

Many thanks!

Apply now for the Mary Seacole Awards 2012/13

Source: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/02/mary-seacole-awards/

Nursing Standard podcast comparing Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole published online Wednesday 5th October 2011 and now on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LVDwnRk2A

Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole first met in the Crimea. This filmed interview [12min 40secs] with Elizabeth Anionwu, Emeritus professor of nursing at the University of West London and vice chairperson of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal, describes how they overcame personal battles to get there.

Winners of the 2011 Mary Seacole Leadership & Development Awards!

 

 

Photo taken by John Behets of the winners of the 2011 Mary Seacole Leadership & Development Awards in front of UNISON HQ in London: Left to right back: Sarah Amani, Grahame Fraser, Karen Murray, Marsha Jones. Left to right front: Sonia Wijesundare, Val Freestone.  Many congratulations to each and everyone!

 

 

For more details about their projects visit:

 http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=2502

 

Belong to Facebook?  If so please join the Facebook page: 'Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal' via: www.facebook.com/SeacoleStatueAppeal   

YOU CAN NOW TEXT YOUR DONATION TO THE MARY SEACOLE MEMORIAL STATUE APPEAL FREE OF CHARGE! Courtesy of Vodafone & JustGiving it is now possible to donate anything from £1 by text [free of charge] to the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal.  Let’s say that you wanted to donate £5 - just text  MARY11  £5  to  70070   Thank you!

Tweet4Mary's statue appeal!

 Follow the progress of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal via: www.twitter.com/seacolestatue

For events relating to Mary Seacole please click here: newsEvents.html

 

Nursing Standard, media partner of Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal, sponsored this wonderful full page advert for the charity in their issue dated 8th June 2011.  Brilliant!

 

 

 

 

UNISON 2nd June 2011 pledge full support for the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal, and make a donation that pushes total funds raised to £100,000!  We will keep you posted about their fundraising campaign. 

 

Saturday 7th May 2011: 30th anniversary wreath-laying ceremony  organised by the Mary Seacole Memorial Association. Right; wreaths laid at the grave of Mary Seacole in St Mary's Catholic cemetery, Kensal Green, London.  Left: His Excellency Anthony S Johnson, Jamaican High Commissioner to the United Kingdom laying a wreath. Photos by Elizabeth Anionwu

 

 

 

 

April 2011

The New Yorker magazine features an interesting item about Mary Seacole in their edition of 25th April 2011: http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2011/04/25/110425ta_talk_frazier

Delegates at the Royal College of Nursing Congress held in Liverpool in April donated the magnificent sum of £2,120 towards the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal!  A huge thank you to all the nurses and students who were so generous.

MARY SEACOLE AWARDS 2011/12

Applications for these awards will close on 12 May 2011. Interviews will take place on either 26 or 27 July, 2 or 3 August. Application forms with further details can be obtained by email from [email protected] or be downloaded from the following website:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Aboutus/Chiefprofessionalofficers/Chiefnursingofficer/index.htm   under "Latest news"

UNISON has launched the Mary Seacole (1805-1881) campaign 'Turn her into stone' www.unison.org.uk/women/pages_view.asp?did=11514

The Patron, Ambassadors and others who attended the House of Lords reception on 21st July 2010 that followed the Annual General Meeting of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal

In the picture Left to right: Sculptor Martin Jennings, comedian Rudi Lickwood [Ambassador], His Excellency Mr Anthony Johnson, Jamaican High Commissioner [Patron], Jazz musician Courtney Pine [Ambassador], Laurie Philpott [WW2 veteran & President of Mary Seacole Memorial Association], Lord Clive Soley, [Chairman, MSMSA] and in front Prof Elizabeth Anionwu [Vice-Chair, MSMSA]. Photo taken by and courtesy of Charlie Milligan.

Do try and read Nursing Standard on Wednesday 28th April 2010! There will be a 4 page spread to kick start their campaign to support the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal by being their media partner. Fantastic news!

Monday 25th January 2010: Independent newspaper article by Chris Green concerning Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal - click on this link:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/memorial-to-crimeas-black-nurse-in-danger-1877867.html

Monday 11th January 2010: Voice newspaper publish my piece: 'Let's get the facts right about Mary Seacole'.  Here's the link: http://www.voice-online.co.uk/content.php?show=16861

Search the web and raise money for the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal with Everyclick. Join me: http://www.everyclick.com/elizabethanionwu  

For information concerning Mary Seacole events please click here to go to Events page.

Good to see this type of support posted for the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPnMoPVoHX4  Thank you Trojan's Corner Blog: http://trojansgallery.blogspot.com/2009/10/trojan-corner-supports-mary-seacole.html 

Monday 11th January 2010: Southwold Primary School donated £500 to the Mary  Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal. 

Lord Clive Soley, Chairman of Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal, accepting £500 donation from Mr Darren Chetty, teacher at Southwold Primary School, Hackney.

 

The money was raised through a variety of events including ales from a homemade cake store.   The pupils made this video entitled the A-Z of Mary Seacole - extremely educational.

See it on YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUz5wFoslPE 

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Postponement: the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal regret that the concert due to be held on Sunday 6th December 2009 has been postponed until 2010.  The organisers have informed them that all tickets will be reimbursed in full.

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16th November 2009: Mary Seacole listed number 13 in UK's Top 50 Unsung Heroes drawn up to mark the 15th anniversary on Thursday of the National Lottery.  For more details visit: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/UKs-Top-50-Unsung-Heroes-Revealed-Following-Survey-To-Mark-15th-Anniversary-Of-National-Lotter/Article/200911315455004

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Saturday 7th November 2009 -  received this lovely email concerning Mary Seacole's grave - do also look at Maggie's wonderful photos on the flickr website: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maggiejones/4082619995/

Dear Professor Anionwu,

I recently read your biography of Mary Seacole.  I found her story fascinating as I didn't know a great deal about Mrs Seacole apart from her existence, which is what prompted me to buy the book.

 

It got me thinking about her grave and as a keen amateur photographer I thought I would go and take a couple of photo's. Prior to that I decided to do a  search for photo's of her grave on flickr, if you are not familiar with flickr it's the world's biggest photo hosting website and consequently a huge resource for searches. Well there was not a single photo of Mrs Seacole's grave so I decided that had to be rectified, which I've done today. I have posted seven photo's to the website, here's a link to one of them

http://www.flickr.com/photos/maggiejones/4082619995/
 

I also left a detailed description and link to a map to help find her grave which was so hard to locate, it took me and an hour and a half! I  placed a poppy in the arms of the teddy bear left by the school children, I thought it fitting for one to be on Mrs Seacole's grave especially as tomorrow is Remembrance Sunday.

With kind regards

Maggie Jones (Registered Nurse, St George's Hospital, Tooting, SW17.)

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October 2009: I have noticed a significant increase in comments online about Mary Seacole that are in response to various journalists  decrying or acclaiming her [update 11/1/2010 - see my response to one: http://www.voice-online.co.uk/content.php?show=16861 ] - how very interesting!  Bandwagon effect, backlash, trying to be provocative and/or gain publicity, or just differing views about her place in history,  some  comments note that it has made them aware of Mary for the first time.  So on the plus side, it might even help raise the outstanding money needed for her statue - now there's a thought!   Just click on following link if you would like to donate to the Appeal online: http://www.maryseacoleappeal.org.uk/help.htm Thank you.

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25 Oct 2009: RCN Announces Winners Of 2009 Mary Seacole Award, UK

Photo by Elizabeth Anionwu

Five healthcare professionals were presented with Mary Seacole Leadership and Development Awards at a ceremony held at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) headquarters in London. The awards will specifically help meet health needs of people from Black and minority ethnic communities.

The winners were announced at the ceremony. Professor Ann Keen MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health, who also delivered a keynote speech to delegates at the ceremony.

The awards recognise nurses, midwives and health visitors who make an outstanding contribution to patient care through development and leadership. The development award - worth up to £6,250 each - enables nurses, midwives and health visitors to undertake a project that benefits the health needs of people from Black and minority ethnic communities.

The leadership awards are worth up to £12,500 each and enable nurses, midwives and health visitors in leadership positions to undertake a project to improve patient care.

The awards were created in honour of the nurse Mary Seacole, who made a significant contribution to nursing in the 19th Century, including nursing wounded British soldiers during the Crimean War. They are funded jointly by the Department of Health and NHS Employers The awards were jointly hosted by the Department of Health, NHS Employers, RCN, Royal College of Midwives, UNISON and Unite/CPHVA Dr Peter Carter of the Royal College of Nursing said:
"Mary Seacole dedicated her life to helping others and she is an inspiration to nurses around the world today. These awards were set up in her honour to acknowledge innovative contributions made by health professionals towards the future of patient care. The nurses, midwives and health visitors being recognised today have developed projects that will make a big difference to the way we think about patient care, and in particular the health needs of people from Black and minority ethnic communities."

The new 2009 winners 

Mary Seacole Leadership Awards

-- Concilia Ajuo, Sister, Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow
Help Seeking Behaviours of black Africans and black Caribbeans to diagnose HIV/AIDS

-- Titilayo Babatunde, Lead Public Health Community Nurse, Greenwich Community Health Services
Improving the outcome of postnatal care for women who have experienced significant life trauma before child birth

Mary Seacole Development Awards

-- Marion Fallon, Health Protection Nurse Practitioner, Cheshire & Merseyside Health Protection Unit
Hepatitis B in the Chinese population in Liverpool: ideas, beliefs and expectations about preventive services

-- Gillian Francis, Health Inclusion Worker for Travellers & Gypsies, City & Hackney Community Health Services Developing the cultural competence of health professionals working the gypsy traveller community

-- Sonia Clarke-Swaby, Recipient Transplant Co-ordinator, King's College Hospital, London
Exploring the understanding and cultural beliefs surrounding organ donation amongst BME populations

The following previous winners who have successfully completed their project were presented with their certificates by Ann Keen MP at the ceremony:

-- Stephanie Allen, Staff nurse - Acute medical older people, East Surrey Hospital
A Pilot Study into the Drivers and Barriers to Ethnic Minority Older People accessing health and social care in the UK

-- Sandra Anto-Awuakye, Lecturer in Public Health & Primary Care, City University
An exploration into the child rearing practices of South Asian communities living in London's East End: Developing culturally sensitive services within Health Visiting practice

-- Ofrah Muflahi, Haemoglobinopathies Nurse Counsellor/Educator, Dudley PCT
Improving the Health of Children and Young people living with Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassaemia

-- Pamela Shaw, Health Visitor/Practice Educator Wakefield District Community Health Services The Positive Contributions of Black and Minority Ethnic Professionals to the National Health Service - Through role models

-- Gloria Urhoma, Productive Ward Facilitator, Heatherwood and Wexham Park NHS Foundation Trust
Informing the Development of a Maternity Information DVD for Pakistani Women: a social marketing approach

Source Royal College of Nursing 

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Sunday 26/7/2009: there are many Mary Seacole nurseries, wards and academic centres but now  a miniature locomotive in Reading has been named after her. 29 pupils aged 4 and 5 years old were invited to the naming ceremony by Mr Robert Denton, a member of Reading Society of Model Engineers.  He is quoted as saying in the Reading Chronicle [26/7/09]: "It is a model of a locomotive that was never named in real life. Most of the others were named after famous people from history but this one fell through the net. Mary Seacole wasn't recognised for her work for a long time but now she is."

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All you need to know about Mary Seacole!

See pupils from Southwold Primary School in Hackney perform their A-Z of Mary Seacole in a film posted on YouTube in June 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUz5wFoslPE
They are also organising a fundraising day for the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal on 3rd July 2009.  For more information contact teacher Darren Chetty: [email protected] October 2009: Update:  the pupils raised the grand total of £500 - well done and many thanks from the Appeal.

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Monday 22/6/2009: Unveiling of a new photograph of Mary Seacole.

The event, organised by the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal took place this afternoon - at the Florence Nightingale Museum. The photo was unveiled by actress Cleo Sylvestre, well known for her monologues in the role of  Mary Seacole.

The unknown photograph and a rare signature of Jamaican born Crimean War nursing heroine Mary Seacole (1805-1881) have been unearthed at one of England's oldest public schools. The exciting discovery, in an album devoted to the Crimean war, was made earlier this year by Dr Geoffrey Day, the current Fellows' and Eccles Librarian at Winchester College.

Dr Day, the key speaker at the event, noted that the photograph of Mary Seacole is full face and that there is a wealth of detail: her hair style and the lace edging on her clothes particularly stand out. Also of great interest is that there is a signature of Mary Seacole, which is extremely rare. He went on to say that her photograph is an indication of her importance at the time: all the others in the album are of military leaders: Mary Seacole is the only non-combatant photograph.

Now the photograph is to be used to keep Mary Seacole's name alive. Winchester College, whilst retaining copyright of the image, has kindly allowed the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue  Appeal [MSMSA] sole use of it in order to raise funds for their appeal.  Postcards of the image have been designed and are on sale at the Florence Nightingale Museum with all proceeds going to the MSMSA.

In association with the MSMSA, prints of the photograph and signature, as well as a jigsaw featuring the image, can be purchased online via the Mary Evans Picture Library Prints Online site:

http://www.prints-online.com/pictures_1581575/detail.html

A percentage of the proceeds of the sale of this image are going towards the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal.

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Wednesday 17th June 2009 - STOP PRESS - Martin Jennings has been chosen as the artist to design the Mary Seacole Statue Memorial.  

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MONDAY 13th MAY 2009:  MARTIN JENNINGS & BILL WOODROW IN FINAL SHORTLIST FOR DESIGN OF MARY SEACOLE MEMORIAL

 

PRESS RELEASE

FROM LORD SOLEY OF HAMMERSMITH,

 CHAIRMAN: MARY SEACOLE MEMORIAL STATUE APPEAL

 

The Guards Museum in Birdcage Walk was the setting for a dramatic announcement by Baroness Amos, Chair of the Selection Panel, on the artist chosen to complete the Mary Seacole Memorial.

 

Baroness Valerie Amos, Chair of the Selection Panel appointed by the Trustees of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal announced that the presentation by the eight shortlisted artists had been narrowed down to two. Both showed great merit and the Panel decided to interview both artists again before making a final selection. Martin Jennings and Bill Woodrow will now meet with the Panel and a final choice will be made in June.

 

Baroness Amos said   “This has been a rich and rewarding experience for the Selection Panel and we would like to commend all the short listed candidates for their interest and their ideas on how best to remember Mary Seacole. Our final two artists Martin Jennings and Bill Woodrow have outstanding reputations and wonderful examples of their work can be seen in the UK and elsewhere. I look forward to the next stage and in due course, to the erection of a fitting memorial to Mary Seacole in London.�

 

Lord Soley, Chairman of the trustees said “This was clearly a tough choice and I am delighted with the professionalism of the Panel and their determination to make the right choice and I look forward to the final choice now to be made in June.�

 

Lord Soley said “We now have two artists of international reputation, determined to create a lasting memorial to represent this remarkable woman and to add substantially to the artistic attraction of the South Bank. This will be a world class memorial for a world class city and a world class nursing hero in a conflict zone.

 

We have a prestigious site for the Memorial in front of St Thomas’ Hospital across the river from the Houses of Parliament and we have a promise to construct the Memorial at cost price by McAlpine PLC who has a history of building memorials involving military tradition.

 

I am also delighted to announce today that Princess Alexandra has agreed to unveil the memorial when it is completed.

 

We now have to raise the remaining £400,000 necessary to build and maintain the Memorial. It is a big challenge but it is one we can and will achieve.

 

Mary Seacole was well remembered by the troops in the 19^th century and I am delighted that she will now have a Memorial that is so long overdue. 

                   ----------------------------------------------------

 THE CHAIRMAN AND TRUSTEES OF THE MARY SEACOLE MEMORIAL STATUE APPEAL WISH TO THANK BARCLAY’S BANK PLC FOR SUPPORTING THE ARTIST SELECTION PROCESS.

 

THEY ALSO WISH TO THANK THE DAVIDSON ARTS PARTNERSHIP FOR ORGANISING AND MANAGING THE SELECTION PROCESS.

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Monday 27th April - Friday 8th May 2009:  Window display of proposed designs for  Mary Seacole Memorial by 8 shortlisted artists at Coutts Bank, 440 The Strand,  London WC2R 0QS  

Members of the public are invited to come and have a look at the designs below, each set out on a separate board, that also contains comments by each artist.   Feel free to email your comments by 8th May 2009 to [email protected]

Etienne Milner	George Kelly	Joy Gregory	Susan Stockwell
Bill Woodrow	Maurice Blik	Georgia Boyd	Martin Jennings

Wednesday 13th May 2009: Announcement of Winning Artist

The chosen artist will be announced on 13th May 2009 by Baroness Valerie Amos, Chairperson of the Mary Seacole Memorial Artist Selection Panel.

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Saturday 9th May 2009: Mary Seacole Wreath-Laying Service

The service will be at 11am in the Chapel in St Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Harrow Road, Kensal Rise, London NW10 5NY. The luncheon will be at St Mark’s Church Hall on the corner of All Souls Avenue and Bathurst Gardens NW10 5AL. The Mary Seacole Memorial Association [MSMA] are asking for the sum of £8 per head to cover costs of the luncheon and would be grateful if cheques were made payable to MSMA and sent to: Charmaine Case, MSMA Secretary, 19 Oakwood Road, Croydon, Surrey CRO 3QS.

Any queries to Charmaine Case: [email protected]

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Mary Seacole Leadership & Development Awards

For nurses, midwives and health visitors:  Applications are invited from nurses, midwives and health visitors in England to participate in the prestigious Mary Seacole Awards programme for 2009/10.

Closing date 20th May 2009

There are two award programmes available:

The Mary Seacole Leadership Awards are worth £12,500 each and provide the opportunity to:

• undertake a specific health care project

• enhance effective leadership and communication skills.

The Mary Seacole Development Awards are worth £6,250 each and provide the opportunity to:

• undertake a project, or other educational/development activity, that benefits the health needs of people from black and minority ethnic communities

• develop leadership skills.

Applications for these awards will close on 20 May 2009.

To obtain further details and an application form, visit:

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Aboutus/Chiefprofessionalofficers/Chiefnursingofficer/DH_074244   

Alternatively, email:  [email protected]

Workshops

If you are still unsure about applying, we are running a series of workshops around England for potential applicants. Check the above website for more details.

N.B. You do not have to be a member of any of the participating organisations to apply or to access the website information or to attend a workshop.

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16th December 2008: Eight internationally acclaimed artists shortlisted for Mary Seacole Memorial Statue 

PRESS RELEASE

From Lord Soley of Hammersmith

Chairman of The Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal

___________________________________________________________________________

I am delighted to announce the eight shortlisted artists selected to submit proposals for a memorial to the Crimean war nurse and British 19th century heroine Mary Seacole. The eight shortlisted out of an internationally long list of applicants are:

Maurice Blik

Georgia Boyd Russell

Joy Gregory

Martin Jennings

Kenness George Kelly (Fowokan)

Etienne Milner

Susan Stockwell

Bill Woodrow

They will now submit designs for the memorial and the Artist Selection Panel will make the final choice in the early spring.  All the Trustees and myself are very grateful to the Panel, chaired by Baroness Amos, for the hard work and commitment to this important cause. The other members of the Panel are:

Baroness Amos (Chair)

Dr Stephen Deuchar (Director, Tate Britain)

Lady Sue Woodford Hollick (Chair, London Arts Council England)

Steve McGuire (Director, Capital, Estates & Facilities, St Thomas' Hospital, London)

Prof Elizabeth Anionwu (Fellow, Royal College of Nursing)

Lord Smith of Finsbury (Chair, Environment Agency)

Alexander Amosu (Entrepreneur)

Note for Editors:

The Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal was set up to create a permanent memorial to the Afro Caribbean nurse of the 19th century who nursed soldiers and sailors in the Caribbean and in the Crimea. She was famous in her day and became a close confident of Queen Victoria. She was not included in the Crimean war memorial and St Thomas’ Hospital NHS Trust have now agreed that a memorial will be placed in front of the hospital opposite the Houses of Parliament.

For further details see:

http://www.maryseacole.com/maryseacole/pages/mary_statue.html

For information on the selection process contact:

Philomena Davidson (The Davidson Arts Partnership)  020 8900 0880 / [email protected]

Baroness Valerie Amos [email protected]

For information about the Appeal contact: Clive Soley 07785 250 456 / [email protected]

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15th December 2008 -  the Evening Standard reports that the National Portrait Gallery has managed to raise the remaining £45,00 needed to pay £130,000 required to purchase the Mary Seacole portrait from Helen Rappaport.  A  TES article in 2005 she had originally bought it for £850.

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Wednesday 22nd October 2008: Mary Seacole 2008 Leadership Awards Announced

Many congratulations to the 3 winners of the 2008 Mary Seacole Leadership awards presented at the Royal College of Nursing.

Leadership Award:        Ofrah Muflahi [left in picture]  Haemoglobinopathy Nurse Counsellor & Educator, Dudley Primary Care Trust.

Development Awards:        Pamela Shaw [right in picture] Health Visitor/Practice Educator, NHS Wakefield District

Gloria Urhoma [centre] Practice Development Midwife, Wrexham Park Hospital, Slough

Photo taken by Elizabeth N Anionwu

Saturday 11th October 2008: as part of the Guardian's Black History month coverage read why Tim Campbell chose Mary Seacole as his heroine - Tim Campbell: Mary Seacole was a hero of the Crimean war | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk 

You can also add your own comments via: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/blackhistorymonth

Tim is an Ambassador of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal.

Sunday 14th September 2008: click here for an article in The Sunday Times  about the forthcoming biography of Florence Nightingale by Mark Bostridge.  It details new evidence in private unpublished papers concerning how Miss Nightingale may have helped Mary Seacole financially when she faced bankruptcy.  However when I checked for more details in the notes of his book, Bostridge could find no evidence of Nightingale being named in the official list of donors.

See also 10th October 2008 review by Jan Marsh in the Independent which includes:  'She hated rivals, calling Mary Seacole a woman of bad character who promoted drunkenness, when brandy was one her own chief medicines - but did apparently contribute to the fund saving Seacole from bankruptcy in 1857.'

Wednesday 20th August 2008: Written confirmation from Crossrail with reassurance concerning status of Mary Seacole Blue Plaque site.  Here is an extract [the key section put in bold by me]:

020 3023 9100
[email protected]
CA/S/1/W/27020
 

Dear Elizabeth Anionwu,

14 Soho Square, London, W1D 3QG.

Thank you for your enquiry of 19 August 2008 regarding the effect of Crossrail on the above property.

......The above property is within the consultation limits as defined by the Safeguarding Direction. However, this property will not be affected by the Crossrail project.

Tuesday 19th August 2008

Nursing Standard have been given a verbal assurance that No. 14 Soho Square, W1D 3QG [unlike nearby houses] will NOT be affected by the Crossrail redevelopment.  I am still awaiting written confirmation from Crossrail.

Possible threat to Mary Seacole Blue Plaque site?

I have received this letter from Gavin Smith at Liverpool University:

_______________________________________________________________________________________

August 17th 2008

Dear Colleagues,
 
I am writing to you to inform you, if not already aware, of the impending
redevelopment of tottenham court road underground/soho square for the new Crossrail
service in London, UK that will affect a historical site connected with the Jamaican
nurse Mary Seacole. I urge you to send your objections immediately to the Mayor of
London's office and in this year of the end of slavery it should be a major concern.
 
Regards 
Gavin Smith
SACE
Liverpool University
_______________________________________________________________________________

I have contacted Gavin for more information as I have found it impossible to locate the relevant information on the Crossrail link website but have emailed them so fingers crossed that more details will be forthcoming - I couldn't find anything about it on the Greater London Authority site either http://www.london.gov.uk/ . If anybody does find the information please do contact me via [email protected] !! 

 

Saturday 10th May 2008 Here is a photo taken by Elizabeth Anionwu at the wreath-laying ceremony at the grave of Mary Seacole - organised by the Mary Seacole Memorial Association.  Amongst the dignitaries featured is Dawn Butler, MP for Brent South - far left in image.

Our sincere thanks to everyone who helped us raise a clear £7,000 from the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal [click here for the latest fact sheet/Gift Aid form] dinner/auction at London's Living Room, City Hall held on Thursday 21st February 2008. Brilliant!  Also read online The Times article Thursday 7th February 2008, page 65 about the fundraising dinner by Stuart Flitton: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article3320465.ece 

The new branding design  for the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal [see left] was undertaken [free of charge] by Lucy of Davidson Arts Partnership - many thanks!  We are also very grateful to the sculptor Fowokan [aka George Kelly] for allowing us to use the image of a bust of Mary Seacole that he sculpted.  The new logo was launched at the fundraising dinner on 21/2/2008.  Some photos of the event below courtesy of David Gee photographer and Nursing Standard.

                 Rudolph Walker, Cleo Sylvestre, Lord Soley & Prof Anionwu                          Cleo Sylvestre, actress taking a bow after her performance as Mary Seacole                   Diners watching MSMSA Appeal video            Steve Pound MP, auctioneer for the night, in full swing      Juliet Alexander holding donated Wedgwood Vase

Please click  here on Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal  (MSMSA) if you would like to make an online donation. Many thanks!   Please click here on Latest News page from the appeal website to be up-to-date with  various developments.

March 2008: The Mary Seacole Leadership and Development Award scheme has been announced for 2008 and applications are invited by Wednesday 7th May 2008.  Leadership awards are worth £12,500 and development awards are worth £6,250. 

The closing date for applications is 7^th May 2008.  Application forms with further details will be available to download from March 2008 on the Chief Nursing Officer’s website http://www.dh.gov.uk/cno as well as the following participating organisations’ websites: 

• http://www.rcn.org.uk/membership/scholarshipsawards/rcnmembers 
• www.rcm.org.uk
• http://www.unitetheunion.com/cphva
• www.unison.org.uk
• www.nhsemployers.org

Or may be obtained by email from Bukola Samuel at the Department of Health on  [email protected] .  Completed forms must be returned to Bukola Samuel to arrive no later than Wednesday 7^th May 2008.

For further  details click here for Leadership Award flyer and click here for the Development Award flyer [both in PDF format].

29th November 2007: At last!!  Mary Seacole Blue Plaque is unveiled at 14 Soho Square,  London W1D 3QG in front of a huge crowd of supporters.  The ceremony was jointly organised by English Heritage and the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal

 

Left in picture: The Right Hon. Margaret Hodge MP, Minister for Culture who made a speech at the unveiling.

Right in picture: Professor Elizabeth Anionwu, CBE FRCN, Vice-Chairperson of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal who unveiled the Blue Plaque to Mary Seacole.

They are looking out of the window of 14 Soho Square that overlooks the Blue Plaque.   Mary Seacole resided here in 1857, the same year that she wrote her autobiography. Tottenham Court Station is the nearest tube station.  Use the Oxford Street exit and then take the first left into Soho Street to Soho Square.

 

Pupils from Wyvil Primary School, Vauxhall in Lambeth  join dignitaries at the unveiling.  They had recently done a project about Mary Seacole in collaboration with Black Cultural Archives.

7th November 2007: GM TV reports the results of the health insurer BCWA survey showing that 9% of 1,019 people questioned recognised the name of Mary Seacole. This compared with 35% for Florence Nightingale.

13th September 2007 - Brilliant news re Blue Plaque for Mary Seacole!

I have been informed by Caroline Mathews, Blue Plaques Coordinator for English Heritage that the Blue Plaque for Mary Seacole has at last found a home and will in due course be seen at 14 Soho Square W1D 3QG in London, an address where Mary once lived.   Here is her message: 'I am pleased to tell you that English Heritage has now find a obtained consent from Red Bull technology to erect a blue plaque at 14 Soho Square, London.  Further details on the plaque unveiling will follow shortly.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and the Mary Seacole Centre for Nursing practice for its continuing support'.

So watch this space.... 

October 2007: You can now read Mary Seacole's 1857 autobiography FREE online via the Project Gutenberg online library via: http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=588279 

17th August 2007: Mary Seacole is featured in list of Britain's Greatest Black Achievers in an exhibition at Liverpool's International Slavery Museum www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ism/  Click here to read feature in The Independent.

August 2007: RETIREMENT OF PROFESSOR ELIZABETH ANIONWU

Professor Elizabeth Anionwu  retired on the 1st August 2007 and in the same month all staff at the Ealing site [Westel House] where the Centre  was based are relocating to Paragon House, Thames Valley University, Boston Manor Road, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 96A - [near the entrance of the M4 motorway].  Dr Dave Sookhoo, Principal Lecturer [Research] [email protected] will devote part of his time to continuing the activities of the Mary Seacole Centre for Nursing Practice. 

Thames Valley University have given Elizabeth the honorary award of Emeritus Professor of Nursing.  This will allow her to maintain a 'virtual' link with the Faculty of Health and Human Sciences as she will retain her university email address [email protected]  As part of her new role Elizabeth will continue to update this section of the website that is concerned with Mary Seacole.

BUT for queries concerning aspects of Diversity work at the Faculty of Health and Human Sciences please email: [email protected]   Thank you.

24th July 2007:  Click here to read the article by Stuart Flitton in The Times today concerning the Artist Selection Panel that has been chosen for the Mary Seacole Memorial and other updates on the appeal.

20th June 2007: My sincere thanks to Bob Webzell ARPS, Photographer and Senior Lecturer in Health Care at the Faculty of Health & Human Sciences, Thames Valley University [TVU] for providing me with the following images of the late Mrs Connie Mark, BEM MBE.  Bob took them at the concert that launched the TVU Mary Seacole Centre for Nursing Practice on 16th July, 1998 at Ealing Town Hall.  As you can see, the photos show not only Connie in full swing recounting the poems of Louise Bennett but also the wonderful reaction of the audience.  What a brilliant memory of Connie.  

   

18th June 2007: £500 raised at the funeral service of Mrs Connie Mark on Friday 15th June has been donated to the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal following the wishes of her daughter Amru Goodrich. 

Some Published Obituaries of Mrs Connie Mark

16th June 2007: click here to read the obituary of Mrs Connie Mark published in today's Guardian  and written by Margaret Busby.

2nd August 2007: click here to read The Times obituary.

22nd August 2007: click here to read The Independent obituary by Clayton Goodwin.

3rd June 2007: Passing of Mrs Connie Mark BEM MBE

It is with great sadness that the news has been announced that Mrs Connie Mark, BEM MBE died on Sunday 3rd June 2007.  Connie was a founder member and President of the Mary Seacole Memorial Association and was one of the main pioneers involved in the efforts to renovate and maintain the grave of Mary Seacole.  Connie worked tirelessly to promote the achievements of Mary Seacole to young and old.  We are all in her debt.

The photo on the right was taken by Elizabeth Anionwu in 2003 when Connie is seen at an event held in her honour to celebrate her 80th birthday held at the Priory Community Centre in Acton, London.  Those included in the photo include Margaret Noel of the Descendants Group [of which Connie was a Patron]; Sister Monica Tywang, former Chairperson of the Mary Seacole Memorial Association; Keith Waithe, flautist , Mia Morris, Director of Well Placed Consultancy and the Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham.  View the photo gallery below for more pictures of Connie from the collection of Elizabeth Anionwu.

 I am particularly grateful for her stunning performance at a concert on the 16th July 1998 that launched the  Mary Seacole Centre for Nursing Practice at Thames Valley University [TVU].  The event was held in Ealing Town Hall and 400 people attended - Connie, 'Jamaican storyteller and singer', was the star of the evening. 

Her repertoire included well known classics of an other beloved Jamaican woman, the late Mrs Louisa Bennett ['Miss Lou'] - Connie had the audience in stitches. Black and white photo courtesy of TVU.

I was also very impressed with her contribution to the 2000 BBC Hidden History documentary about Mary Seacole. 

"Connie was a remarkable woman of generosity, warmth and commitment.  Her photographic record of the contribution to the war effort by so many people from the Caribbean was itself a testimony to her love of both Britain and the Caribbean and all we stood for.

My memory of Connie is about Mary Seacole. Many years ago she asked me as a relatively new Member of Parliament for Hammersmith to come to the grave in Kensal Green to start an annual memorial service. Connie said to me “Mary really ought to have a proper memorial somewhere in central London�. I made a mental note of that and resolved that in due course I would try and make her wish come true.

When I retired from the House of Commons and went to the Lords I decided it was time to launch the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal.  The appeal has now been promised a site at St Thomas’ Hospital opposite the Houses of Parliament and McAlpines are committed to constructing the Memorial at cost price. The Committee has raised close to £50,000. We are on our way to making Connie’s dream come true.

 I am just very sorry that she will not be with us when it comes to fruition. But I know she will be there in spirit.  Thank you Connie - you were the inspiration".

Clive Soley, Lord Soley of Hammersmith. Chairman of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal. 12th June 2007.

Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mrs Connie Mark, BEM, MBE: Born Kingston Jamaica: 21st December 1923 - Died 3rd June 2007, London, England.

Here are some links of interviews that enable us to hear and see Connie in action:

• Watch a BBC Video Nation UK short film from 4th June 1996 when the late Mrs Connie Mark, then President of the Memorial Association, talks about Mary Seacole - it includes a clip from a Wreath-laying ceremony at the graveside of Mary Seacole.

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/videonation/articles/u/uk_unionjack.shtml

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/videonation/articles/u/uk_bikini.shtml

1st May 2007: Baroness Valerie Amos, who will lead the panel announced the composition of the Artists Selection Panel [see list below] as well as the location of the site chosen for the Mary Seacole Memorial which will be in the grounds of St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, just across the river from the Houses of Parliament.  

Baroness Amos will head a distinguished panel including Steve Deuchar Director Tate Britain; Lord Smith of Finsbury  the former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport; Professor Elizabeth Anionwu, Head of the Mary Seacole Centre for Nursing Practice at Thames Valley University; Alexander Amosu the ring tone billionaire and Philomena Davidson, the former president of the Royal Society of British Sculptors. 

April 2007: Those of you out there with your own MySpace sites, how about becoming a friend of Mary  Seacole and spreading the word about Mary and the Memorial Appeal??  Just visit: www.myspace.com/maryseacole

News items going back to 2005, the bicentennial of the year Mary Seacole was born

15th June 2007: This is the deadline for submission of completed forms for the Mary Seacole Leadership Development Awards - 2007 Funded jointly by the Department of Health and NHS Employers, the Mary Seacole Leadership and Development Awards are awarded in association with Amicus CPHVA, The Royal College of Midwives, The Royal College of Nursing and Amicus. These annual awards for nurses, midwives and health visitors in England honour Mary Seacole's name and acknowledge her achievements. Development Awards of up to £6,250 [click here for flyer] and Leadership Awards of up to £12,500 [click here for flyer] are available.  For further details please contact one of the above organisations or email  Bukola Samuel at the Department of Health on [email protected] 

Wednesday 9th May 2007  Launch of Dutch version of Marys' autobiography: Wonderbaarlijke Avonturen... (Wonderful Adventures....)

The very first Mary Seacole Symposium in Breda, Holland witnessed the launch of an exciting updated Dutch version of Mary's autobiography book that was recently discovered to have been published in 1857! 

 

For more details about the book visit: www.symposium-hbo-verpleegkunde.blogspot.com/  or email Mrs Corry Derks: [email protected] 

 

March 2007:

A very big apology to all the brilliant pupils of Wantage Church of England Primary School (Oxon) http://www.wantageceprimary.ik.org/ for my failure to write back straight away with a BIG THANK YOU for the wonderful letters they sent me following their project about Mary Seacole.  Mary would be so proud of you!!  I was so impressed with their knowledge of Mary's work in the Crimean War.  I was also very moved with the way that they expressed their admiration for Mary's bravery and commitment to the wounded soldiers.  Well done!  Elizabeth.

Click here for details about the first (free) Mary Seacole symposium in Holland (Wednesday 9th May 2007) and, in London, the Annual Memorial Service followed by Wreath-Laying at the grave of Mary Seacole (Saturday 12th May 2007).

December 2006: two buildings named after Mary Seacole are due to be formally launched this month, one at Enfield NHS PCT and the other at Greenwich University - more details in due course.

24th November 2006: The historian Helen Rappaport informs me that that her book 'No Place for Ladies: The
Untold Story of Women in the Crimean War' - is being published 22 February 2007, Aurum Press.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Place-Ladies-Untold-Crimean/dp/1845132203/ref=sr_11_1/202-9335681-7261469?ie=UTF8

Helen says "It has quite a bit on Mary and in particular a substantial chapter to herself with new eye witness testimony I discovered during my research".  She also adds that "I also have an article on Mary and how I discovered the portrait - called 'The Lost Portrait' running in the Jamaica Journal's December 2006 issue".

March 2007: click on this link to read a review of the book in The Times online newspaper 10/3/2007: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/history/article1492169.ece
 

23rd November 2006:  I have received the following photo and email from Kathy George about her son Ryan (10 years) whom I met at the Museum of London on Sunday 29th October 2006 when he and his parents attended the family events about Mary Seacole: 

 

 

 

November 2006  A 2nd and slightly revised paperback edition of the wonderful biography  of Mary Seacole by Jane Robinson has been published by Robinson Press.

 

 

9th October 2006: The  Mary Seacole Leadership and Development Awards were presented to the 6 winners by Chris Beasley, Chief Nursing Officer for England, at a ceremony held at the Jamaican High Commission in London. Here are the full details as set out in the RCN press release:

2nd August 2006:  Nursing Standard (Page 10) reported that Liverpool City Council has proposed that, as well as recommending that the statue of Florence Nightingale be restored to its original condition, there should also be a statue of Mary Seacole.  I am extremely grateful to Chris Jones, senior lecturer in the Faculty of Health at Edge Hill  University in Liverpool for letting me see sight of the full motion tabled by Councillor Steve Munby.  Chris is leading the campaign to restore Liverpool's monument to Florence Nightingale and can be contacted via: [email protected]

Councillor Munby's motion of the 12th July 2006 included the following: 'Council also notes the equally important and often neglected contribution of Mary Seacole to the development of nursing and believes it would be singularly appropriate to mark Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture, whose motif is 'The World In One City', by erecting a statue of Mary Seacole at a suitable location near the statue of Florence Nightingale, at the same junction or on Princes Avenue'.  Chris informs me that there was a broad spectrum of support that resulted in the motion being agreed following inclusion of the amendment by Councillor Warren Bradley, seconded by Councillor Richard Marbrow to submit the motion to the Public Arts Steering Group for their consideration and views.  

Many thanks to Councillor Steve Munby [Riverside Ward Labour Councillor] for sending me the following quote on the 7th August 2006: "I am delighted the Council has agreed to honour these two outstanding figures in the history of nursing. I was keen to get action on the neglected statue of Florence Nightingale to mark the 200^th anniversary of her birth. But given the location of the statue - in Toxteth, the heart of Liverpool's black community - it seemed fitting that it should be twinned with a new statue of Mary Seacole. Mary was a figure of equal significance in the development of nursing, but her legacy has often been obscured by racism. Hopefully this will help put that right and pay equal tribute to these two great figures."   Good luck Liverpool!

1st August 2006  Click here to read, in today's issue of The Times newspaper, an article by Stuart Flitton 'Seacole memorial a step closer'.

18th July 2006  Today the National Portrait Gallery celebrates their 150th anniversary with the issue of a series of 10 postage stamps of 10 Great Britons who have portraits in the NPG, including the one of  Mary Seacole.  See coverage of it in 13th July issue of The Times newspaper item 'Nurse has stamp of a Great Briton'.

I was delighted to have recently (13th April 2006) discovered this information on the Phil Stamp First Day Covers website. 15.6.2006: Many thanks to Steve Oliver of PHIL STAMP COVERS for alerting me to a change to his website link and my apologies to those who found that they were unable to access it.  I have been abroad on holiday so only just able to update the link - sorry!

30.6.06 Mastermind (29/6/06)  Didn't Lesley do well on Mastermind last night?! Not only did she demonstrate fantastic knowledge about Mary Seacole (which was her specialist subject) but also in general knowledge - as a result she scored the top mark (22) overall.  Many more people will now have learnt something about Mary Seacole.  Well done  and all our congratulations for the next stage Lesley!

Thursday 29th June 2006 Mary Seacole is due to be featured on Mastermind on BBC 2 TV  at 10pm  - see 4th May entry below.

27th June 2006: Formal opening of the Mary Seacole Library, University of Central England (UCU), Birmingham.  More details soon.

19th May 2006: Queen opens new Mary Seacole Health Building at Brunel University.  Many thanks to Mike, a student at the university, who emailed me prior to the event in order to let me know about this occasion. 

4th May 2006:  Mary Seacole due to be featured on Mastermind between now and September 2006 [date now known to be 29th June 2006]!  I have just received this wonderful email from Lesley Edge: "I wanted to let you know that I was recently filmed as a contestant on BBC's Mastermind programme and Mary Seacole was my specialist subject.  I have visited your website on countless occasions during my research and found it to be a really warm and friendly website - it also obviously gave me a lot of useful information as well about Mary.  ....Thank you so much for maintaining such a wonderful website about Mary Seacole and promoting her in the way that you do."  Lesley will inform me when she hears what date the programme will be transmitted - it could be anytime between May and September 2006.  Good luck Lesley!

23rd March 2006 Click here to read an article by Stuart Flitton in The Times newspaper about the Benefits Reception  held at the House of Lords on 23rd March for the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal. The event was co-hosted by Lord Soley of Hammersmith (Chairman of the Appeal) and Her Excellency the High Commissioner of Jamaica, Ms Gail Mathurin. Also present were the President and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing.  The objective of the event is to appeal to donors to assist in raising the £475,000 needed for the appeal.   Click here on Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal if you would like to make an online donation.  Your support is sorely needed - many thanks!

Many thanks to the Crimean War Research Society for encouraging visitors to make an online donation to the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal by creating a link directly to the Appeal site.  As Vice-Chairperson of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal it would be fantastic if this type of support could be considered by other websites. 

8th February 2006

Click here to view and listen to the poem to Mary Seacole recorded by David Neita for BBC London Video Nation. It is recorded in George Street, London  at the site of the Westminster Council Green Plaque that commemorates an address where Mary lived.

1 February 2006

28 January - 2 April 2006 Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery  are hosting the brilliant  'Black Victorians.  Black People in British Art 1800-1900' that was recently in Manchester - (click on the link to see some images courtesy of BBC online).  Address:  Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3DH, Tel: 0121 303 2834.   Do try and visit this excellent exhibition!

Black Victorians explores the presence of people of African descent in 19^th century British art  and features 100 works (painting, sculpture, photos, drawings) including the portrait of Mary Seacole by Albert Charles Challen that has been on view at the National Portrait Gallery in London. This is the first major exhibition of its kind in Britain and gives a fascinating and often surprising insight into a small but significant section of Britain's population at this time.  The exhibition challenges the view that there were few black people in Britain at this time and reveals a cast of characters including entertainers, churchmen, sportspeople, artists' models and politicians.   Black Victorians is curated by writer and curator Jan Marsh and is jointly organized by Manchester Art Gallery and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.  Admission is free.

December 2005 

Should Mary Seacole be featured on a £5?  Follow the debate &  make your own views known!

• 29th December 2005 - following the first disappointing reply received from the Bank of England on 22nd December (see further down), I have now received a second and more positive email, this time from Di Davies:

  Dear Professor Anionwu, Thank you for your message.  Further to my colleague's reply I thought you might like to know that Mary Seacole's name has been added to the list of names that the Bank holds, for future consideration for use on the banknotes. As you know, changes to banknotes are infrequent and are generally only made when advances in anti-counterfeiting technology and/or production technology (provided these are cost-effective) warrant a new banknote.   We always welcome suggestions from the public about possible historical figures for use on the banknotes and we very much appreciate your recommendation. Kind regards,  Di Davies, Public Information & Enquiries Group, Bank of England.

• In an interview in the Fabian Review magazine, Linda Colley, author of Captives: Britain, Empire and the World and Professor of history at Princeton University asks 'Why, for instance are the people featured on British banknotes all white?'    Here is an extract from the Daily Telegraph coverage of 20 December 2005: Sunder Katwala of the Fabian Society said "Just as Florence Nightingale was on the £10 note from 1975 to 1994, Mary Seacole could be a symbol not just of our history but of the diversity which is today at the heart of our most cherished national institution, the NHS. ...."   A Bank of England spokesman said the historical figures featured on notes changed only when a redesign was necessary on cost grounds or as an anti-counterfeiting measure. The choice of a new face was made by an ad hoc committee chaired by the governor. "The bank is certainly happy to receive suggestions from the public about who it should be,'' the spokesman added, ''however, a key aspect is that the person has made a contribution to the UK and that it has stood the test of time."   Lord Soley, Chairman of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal is planning to write to the Bank of England.  

  For your information their address is Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, London EC2R 8AH.   Email: [email protected]   I have now communicated with them via email with the following rapid but disappointing response on 22/12/2005:

  'Hello Elizabeth, thank you for your e-mail and I will pass your suggestion to our banknote design team.  However, we have already featured Florence Nightingale on the £10 note in the past and I would think that it is unlikely that they would wish to feature someone similar in the near future. Kind regards,' Roger Beaton, Public Information & Enquiries Group, Bank of England.

  If you would also like to contribute to the Fabian debate: "Who should appear on our notes?"  Send your views to [email protected].

  ---

• Mary Seacole is featured as the Woman of the Month  by Mary Turner (former history teacher, turned freelance writer).  It can be viewed on her new website entitled:

• Jason Young, the writer, has been in touch to let me know about a very interesting article entitled 'Mary Seacole goes to Hollywood' that he has had published in the November 2005 edition of ScriptWriter  - click here to view.  He also sent me a news clipping about his trip to the USA that was in The Writing Magazine - you can see a photo of him as well!  Here's wishing Jason all the very best with his plans for a 20 minute stage play based on the life of Mary Seacole.

16th October 2005 - University of Central England (UCE) open a Mary Seacole nursing library.

12th October -  Department of Health funded Mary Seacole Leadership Development Awards: 3 winners announced at a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Royal College of Nursing.  The awards are administered jointly by the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Midwives, UNISON and the CPHVA.  Lord Warner, Minister of NHS Delivery, gave the keynote speech and presented the awards.

Itai Nyamatore is a member of the Royal College of Nursing.  She began the project whilst working as a Team Manager at Derbyshire Mental Health Trust and is now Strategic Nurse Manager at Northampton Primary Care Trust. The award will enable her to undertake research in delivering equitable care in mental health services. This will look at supporting named nurses and care co-ordinators to develop their capability and competencies.

Denise Henry is a Royal College of Midwives member and is Practice Development Midwife at Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea Hospital, London. Her research will look at setting up and co-ordinating an integrated care pathway for women with female genital mutilation.

Barbara Featherstone is a UNISON member and is Modern Matron at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Trust. She will use the award to look at mental health promotion within a BME Group suffering from Chronic Physical Conditions.

The above information is taken from the RCN press release 

The awards are funded by the Department of Health, and provide an opportunity to black and minority ethnic nurses, midwives and health visitors in the NHS in England to make positive and lasting contributions that promote high quality patient and client-focused care. Details of how to apply for next year’s awards will be available in March 2006. To go on the mailing please send an SAE to Mary Seacole Awards, Room 304, RCN, 20 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0RN. 

Saturday 1st October 2005 - There was virtually standing room only at Westminster Cathedral for the Mary Seacole Bicentenary Eucharistic Service.  The event was organised by the Mary Seacole Memorial Association (MSMA).  At the end of the service £600 was collected for the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal  Thank you!

1st October 2005 - 8 January 2006  - Manchester  'Black Victorians.  Black People in British Art 1800-1900' (click on the link to see some images courtesy of BBC online).   Manchester Art Gallery.  Black Victorians explores the presence of people of African descent in 19^th century British art  and features 100 works (painting, sculpture, photos, drawings) including the portrait of Mary Seacole by Albert Charles Challen that has been on view at the National Portrait Gallery in London. This is the first major exhibition of its kind in Britain and gives a fascinating and often surprising insight into a small but significant section of Britain's population at this time.  The exhibition challenges the view that there were few black people in Britain at this time and reveals a cast of characters including entertainers, churchmen, sportspeople, artists' models and politicians.   Black Victorians is curated by writer and curator Jan Marsh and is jointly organized by Manchester Art Gallery and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.  Admission is free. Manchester Art Gallery Mosley Street Manchester M2 3JL. Tel 0161 235 8888  www.manchestergalleries.org  

The exhibition travels to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery  28 January - 2 April 2006

Unveiling of a Green Plaque commemorating the life of Mary Seacole - 11th October 2005  A Green Plaque will be unveiled at 147 George Street, W1 by the Right Worshipful The Lord Mayor of Westminster, Cllr Tim Joiner in the presence of many dignitaries and well wishers.  For more details contact Nubian Jak via [email protected]  or telephone: 0800 093 0400.

Also forms part of a Heritage Celebration 2005 celebrating the diverse past of the capital - includes:

• A London Libraries Treasure Hunt from 3rd to 27th October
• A Central London Plaques Treasure Trail from 11th to 31st October
• A special 36 page educational booklet
• A celebrity heritage night Gala at the Old Vic theatre on 20th November

Friday 28th October (Thursday night/Friday morning)  "Mary Seacole: A Hidden History" broadcast earlier this year  will now be repeated as part of BBC Education programming for Secondary Schools in The Learning Zone on BBC 2 (more details below). For further details click on http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/guide/

29 September 2005 I received this wonderful email from Owen Thurston, aged 6½ years who is a pupil at St. Catherine's Primary School which is in Bletchingley in Surrey - click here to visit their wonderful website!  "I have used your website to find some information about Mary Seacole for my history homework.  I have found all the answers I needed.  Thank You.  lots of love  Owen Thurston age 6 1/2".   Owen sent me a further email on the 6th October: "I had to show the whole class my work and tell them about the email that you and I sent each other.  Miss Bearman said that it was really good and wrote on it a circle with 2HP inside it which means 2 House Points for the Reds.   hope to hear from you soon - lots of love, Owen.xxxx" 

22/9/2005 For the latest news from English Heritage concerning the saga of  Mary Seacole's Blue Plaque click here to get to our section on the history of this Blue Plaque.

August 2005: Lambeth Hospital (which is part of  South London and Maudsley NHS Trust) has named a ward after Mary Seacole in Bridge House, a new unit at the hospital.

 

26th July 2005: The Royal College of Nursing  launched their new publication 'A short history of Mary Seacole: a resource for nurses and students'   written by Professor Elizabeth Anionwu.  The event was held at the National Portrait Gallery in London and included speeches by the RCN President  Sylvia Denton, OBE; General Secretary Dr Beverly Malone, RN PhD FAAN; Lord Soley of Hammersmith (Chairman of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal ) and the author Elizabeth Anionwu.

Click on title to download flyer.   The book costs £4.50 and can be ordered from RCNDIRECT on 0845 772 6100 - quote publication code: 002499.

The book can also be ordered online via the Florence Nightingale Museum

22nd July 2005  Good news from BBC Education about the film that many of us campaigned for wider showing: "Mary Seacole: A Hidden History" was broadcast earlier this year and will now be repeated as part of our programming for Secondary Schools in The Learning Zone on BBC 2 on Friday 28th October (Thursday night/Friday morning). A brief description of the programme is: "A documentary which aims to show how Mary Seacole, Jamaican-born nurse and heroine of the Crimean War has been excluded from its history. 1 x 30 minutes."

A brochure containing details of all our forthcoming History programmes for Secondary Schools for 2005 - 2006 has recently been mailed to all such schools in the UK so History teachers will be aware to record the programme. Copies of this brochure can be requested online by filling the form at http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/contactus/catalogue_form.shtml   

Details about the transmission time is available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/guide/

12 July 2005 A new biography of Mary Seacole by Ron Ramdin published by Haus Publishing as part of their Life and Times series of biographies.

Many thanks to Erum for letting me include this very positive email about our site!

Tuesday 5th July:  Dear Professor Anionwu,   My name is Miss Erum Syed , I work as an administrator in an FE college in Epsom. I am writing to congratulate you on a wonderful website!  I hope to produce a display on Black History Month - concentrating on Mary Seacole and her bicentenary. You website has been very useful and informative !!! Many thanks for your site and good luck in the future with the interests in Mary Seacole, Best wishes, Erum Syed BSc.

Sunday 26th June   Channel Four  TV showed a one hour programme entitled  'Mary Seacole: The Real Angel of the Crimea' that they had commissioned from October Films.  

17th May The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) named the boardroom at 8 Bedford Square after Mary Seacole.  The Jamaican High Commissioner  Gail Mathurin (GM) performed the official opening.  She informed the audience that her mother was the very first person appointed to run Seacole Hall, the original all women residence  on the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies in Jamaica.  Professor Sir Andy Haines (AH), Dean of the LSHTM also invited the following guests to take part in the ceremony:

• Professor  Elizabeth Anionwu (EA), Head of the Mary Seacole Centre for  Nursing Practice, Thames Valley University and an Honorary Professor at the LSHTM and
• Jane Robinson (JR), biographer of Mary Seacole www.jane-robinson.com

                                 Photo credit Anne Koerber/LSHTM.  Left to right JR, GM, EA and AH.

14th May  

• There was a huge turnout for the Bicentennial Memorial Service held at St Martin's Church in Mortimer Road, Kensal Green.  This was followed by wreath-laying  at  Mary Seacole's grave in St Mary's Catholic Cemetery,  679-681 Harrow Road, London NW10 5NY  and then refreshments, a talk and entertainment  at St Jude's Social Centre.   The event was organised by the Mary Seacole Memorial Association.
•  Many congratulations to former MP Clive Soley, Chairman of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal  who has been elevated to the House of Lords.   Also well done to another member of the Appeal Committee, Karen Buck MP who has been appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport.

Florence Nightingale Museum Mary Seacole Bicentenary Exhibition: 10th May 2005 to June 2006   The Mary Seacole Centre for Nursing Practice, Thames Valley University in collaboration with the Florence Nightingale Museum is delighted to be able to offer discounted tickets to the Mary Seacole Exhibition  Please click here to download a voucher to take with you to receive your 20% discount on any individual or group ticket.    The exhibition is at the Florence Nightingale Museum, St Thomas' Hospital (parking level), Lambeth Road, SE1 7EW.  Tel +44 (0) 20 7620 0374.  Opening hours Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm.  Weekends and Bank Holidays 10am to 4.30pm.  Last admission one hour before closing.    The exhibition is also available for hire: please contact Kirsteen Nixon via [email protected] 

Click here to access the Every Generation website and see photos of Sir Trevor McDonald formally opening the exhibition on the 10th May.  Also click on BBC News online to see images from the exhibition posted on their site on 24th May 2005.

February  2005 saw the launch of the Penguin Classics edition of 'Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands'.  (Price £9.99) which is edited by Professor Sarah Salih.
"Traveller, entrepreneur, healer and woman of colour, Mary Seacole is a singular and fascinating figure, overstepping all conventional boundaries"  Jan Marsh, Independent   
"It's hard to believe that this amazing adventure story is the true-life  experience of a Jamaican woman - it would make a great film"   Andrea Levy,  Sunday   Times                                                                                                                                                 
Click here to order online from Penguin Classics

Picture courtesy of Penguin Classics

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26th January                    

The Home Office has named one of their new HQ buildings in Marsham Street, Westminster after Mary Seacole.  The other 2 were named after Robert Peel, founder of the Metropolitan Police and Elizabeth Fry, prison reformer.  Click here to see  a feature written on 15 February 05 by Matilda MacAttram  on Healthweb, part of the 1990 Trust.  Picture courtesy of RCN publications.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

A lost portrait of Mary Seacole was unveiled at a press conference at the National Portrait Gallery (NPG).  Painted in 1869 by the unknown artist Albert Charles Challen, it was brought to their  attention by historian Helen Rappaport who owns the print.  She has lent it to the gallery and it is now on display in Room 23, the Crimean Room, in the National Portrait Gallery, St Martins Place, London WC2H 0HE. Do go and see it!!  Helen has also written an article about Mary Seacole for History Today 55 (02) Feb 2005: 9-15. Please note: Portrait is currently part of Black Victorian exhibition in Birmingham between 28 January to 2 April 2006.  See above for more details.

Mary Seacole, AC Challen, 1869: Courtesy Helen Rappaport/National Portrait Gallery, London  

Last updated: 10/08/2012