Although we may not care to admit it, historically, the issue of disability has often been ignored and neglected by society through the centuries.
Thankfully, things have now changed, as documents at the East Riding Archives & Local Studies Service illustrate.
A new collection of archives, documenting the work of the British Red Cross in this region, has just been opened to the public.
Within this collection are photograph albums and scrapbooks connected with the Beverley Disabled Persons Club, which was set up by the Red Cross after the Second World War, to cater for the welfare of disabled members of the Beverley community.
The club used to run outings to the seaside, lunches, parties, and shopping trips.
It also ran the ‘Beverley Unbeatables’ swimming club for the disabled, and was a forerunner of the many clubs and societies in existence today that cater for people with disabilities.
Collections officer, Sam Bartle, said:
“The 20th century marked a huge social advancement in the embracement of disability. This was carried forward with the recent Paralympics in 2012 and these albums are an important record for the history of disability in our area, as they chart a period of the last century in which real progress began to be made towards the acknowledgment and inclusion of disabled persons in our society.”
One of the big events in the calendar for the Beverley Disabled Club was its Christmas Lunch, which was held at the club’s base in Fleming House, Beverley, as it is each year.
The archive photograph album records that in 1970, the Christmas Lunch was put in jeopardy by a severe flu outbreak, causing many members to miss out.
Fortunately, in the end, the lunch still went ahead and was attended by the Mayor of Beverley, Councillor Harry P Flynn, and Director of the East Riding Branch of the British Red Cross, Lt. Colonel A W Edgar.
The archives can be requested to view in the Research Room of the Treasure House in Champney Road, Beverley.
