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Saint Mary The Virgin Church With digital objects
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Friendly Society

Friendly Society

  • BCA - 2022.3893
  • Item
  • early 1900's

'Go Thou and Do Likewise' is on the top of the banner of the Friendly Society. On Hospital Sunday the members walked from their headquarters in one of the inns to St Mary's for a service and in this picture, they are seen leaving after the annual service. Before the days of the National Health Service, those who could, paid into 'the club' ie the Friendly Society and if they were ill and could not work, sufficient money was provided for the family to buy food. It was literally a life saver for them. The National Health Service came into being July 5th 1948.
1a Foresters A photograph of the Foresters with their banner outside Oathurst, now called Rosebank Nursing Home. Bampton’s Brass band is with them. People paid into clubs like the Foresters then, if they were unable to work, the club kept them from starving. This was before the welfare state came into being and so these friendly societies were very important.

Janet Westman

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