Birmingham Hospital Saturday Fund
Encyclopedia
The Birmingham Hospital Saturday Fund, now called BHSF, was founded in 1873 to raise money for hospitals in Birmingham
, England
.
s, the Queen's Hospital had no regular large-scale funding. There was a "subscription of artisans" in 1847 and fetes in Aston Hall
in 1856 and 1857. In 1859 the rector of St Martin in the Bull Ring
started the Hospital Sunday Fund with church collections donated to Queen's Hospital and other hospitals.
As the out-patient facilities at Queen's were grossly inadequate Sampson Gamgee
, one of its surgeons, instigated the construction of a new out-patients wing and suggested engaging the help of the working classes in raising funds. At a meeting in Birmingham Town Hall
in January 1869, chaired by George Dawson
, Gamgee's suggestion was put forward and accepted. An amount of £3,500 was raised in 1871. The foundation stone was laid on 4 December 1871. The original fund was then disbanded in 1872. The wing cost £10,000 and was formally opened on 7 November 1873.
as Chair and Sampson Gamgee as Honorary Secretary, and was the first British scheme for raising money for all voluntary hospitals in an area. By 1879 the collection had dwindled and it was decided to replace them with a fixed weekly contribution of 1d. On 29 December 1891 the fund was incorporated as a limited non-profit company and was able to hold property, and in 1892 Tyn-y-coed, a stone house on a 33 acres (133,546.4 m²) site near Llandudno
in North Wales
, opened as a convalescent home after its purchase price was donated by two Birmingham sisters, Henrietta and Sarah Stokes.
Further homes were opened around the country.
In 1895 the BHSF started an ambulance service with four custom-designed cycle ambulances, based on a stretcher held between two bicycles. These were low cost devices which could be kept at police stations around the city and did not need assigned staff or horses.
The period after the 1960s saw a merger of similar funds around the country and later, in 2001, the merger of the Hull
-based The Health Scheme (THS) with BHSF.
On the first Saturday, 15 March 1873, the amount raised was £4,700 from a population of 355,000, an average of 2 3/4d. per head. This figure had increased to £400,000 by 1938. In addition to donations to the Queen's, General, Children's, Women's, Eye, and Dental hospitals, the fund implemented convalescent homes around Britain and an ambulance service. Today it continues as a national non-profit health insurance service.
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Sunday Fund
Unlike the General Hospital, which was funded by concerts of the Birmingham Triennial Music FestivalBirmingham Triennial Music Festival
The Birmingham Triennial Musical Festival, in Birmingham, England, founded in 1784, was the longest-running classical music festival of its kind. Its last performance was in 1912.-History:...
s, the Queen's Hospital had no regular large-scale funding. There was a "subscription of artisans" in 1847 and fetes in Aston Hall
Aston Hall
Aston Hall is a municipally owned Jacobean-style mansion in Aston, Birmingham, England. Washington Irving used it as the model for Bracebridge Hall in his stories in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon.-History:...
in 1856 and 1857. In 1859 the rector of St Martin in the Bull Ring
St Martin in the Bull Ring
The church of St Martin in the Bull Ring in Birmingham 5, England is a parish church in the Church of England.-Background:It is the original parish church of Birmingham. It stands between the Bull Ring shopping centre and the markets. The church is a Grade II* listed building. The current Rector...
started the Hospital Sunday Fund with church collections donated to Queen's Hospital and other hospitals.
As the out-patient facilities at Queen's were grossly inadequate Sampson Gamgee
Sampson Gamgee
Dr Joseph Sampson Gamgee, MRCS, FRSE was a surgeon at the Queen's Hospital in Birmingham, England. He pioneered aseptic surgery , and, in 1880 invented Gamgee Tissue, an absorbent cotton wool and gauze surgical dressing...
, one of its surgeons, instigated the construction of a new out-patients wing and suggested engaging the help of the working classes in raising funds. At a meeting in Birmingham Town Hall
Birmingham Town Hall
Birmingham Town Hall is a Grade I listed concert and meeting venue in Victoria Square, Birmingham, England. It was created as a home for the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival established in 1784, the purpose of which was to raise funds for the General Hospital, after St Philip's Church became...
in January 1869, chaired by George Dawson
George Dawson (preacher)
George Dawson was an English nonconformist minister.-Ministry:He was born in London and educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen, and the University of Glasgow....
, Gamgee's suggestion was put forward and accepted. An amount of £3,500 was raised in 1871. The foundation stone was laid on 4 December 1871. The original fund was then disbanded in 1872. The wing cost £10,000 and was formally opened on 7 November 1873.
Saturday Fund
On 6 January 1873 Sampson Gamgee raised the suggestion that 'everyone should work overtime for the hospitals on a particular annual Saturday afternoon, to be called "Hospital Saturday"'. This new scheme called the Birmingham Hospital Saturday Fund was inaugurated on 15 March 1873 with John Skirrow WrightJohn Skirrow Wright
John Skirrow Wright was one of the prominent pioneers and social improvers of the 19th century in Birmingham, England. He was involved in many aspects of Birmingham's mid-Victorian life that were for the benefit of its citizens including the General Hospital, the Chamber of Commerce, The School of...
as Chair and Sampson Gamgee as Honorary Secretary, and was the first British scheme for raising money for all voluntary hospitals in an area. By 1879 the collection had dwindled and it was decided to replace them with a fixed weekly contribution of 1d. On 29 December 1891 the fund was incorporated as a limited non-profit company and was able to hold property, and in 1892 Tyn-y-coed, a stone house on a 33 acres (133,546.4 m²) site near Llandudno
Llandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
in North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
, opened as a convalescent home after its purchase price was donated by two Birmingham sisters, Henrietta and Sarah Stokes.
Further homes were opened around the country.
In 1895 the BHSF started an ambulance service with four custom-designed cycle ambulances, based on a stretcher held between two bicycles. These were low cost devices which could be kept at police stations around the city and did not need assigned staff or horses.
The period after the 1960s saw a merger of similar funds around the country and later, in 2001, the merger of the Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
-based The Health Scheme (THS) with BHSF.
On the first Saturday, 15 March 1873, the amount raised was £4,700 from a population of 355,000, an average of 2 3/4d. per head. This figure had increased to £400,000 by 1938. In addition to donations to the Queen's, General, Children's, Women's, Eye, and Dental hospitals, the fund implemented convalescent homes around Britain and an ambulance service. Today it continues as a national non-profit health insurance service.