Friends of King's College Hospital

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0100 KCLCA KH/FR
Held at	: King's College London College Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/library/archivespec/ ›
Full title	: Friends of King's College Hospital
Date(s)	: Created 1955-1988
Level of description	: Sub-fonds of King's College Hospital View parent record
Extent	: 4 files
Name of creator(s)	: King's College Hospital Friends

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

The earliest reference of what was later called the Friends of King's College Hospital, was in the annual report of 1903, which mentioned the "Needlework Guild" contributing 604 garments and £42 cash for "comforts of the ward" that year. The members of the Guild were local ladies. In 1910 the Guild made and donated a large amount of linen to the Hospital, including blankets, sheets, pillowcases and towels. In 1917 Dowager Viscountess Lady Esther Hambleden formed from the Needlework Guild, a 'Ladies Association', whose main object was to collect money for the Hospital and for the patients' comforts. The Association raised money for the Hospital, made 400 blackout curtains in World War Two, started and staffed a canteen, gave money for improvements to the Nurses' Home, opened a flower shop and was responsible for flower arrangements in the Hospital. Viscountess Lady Hambleden served as Chairman of the Friends from 1917 to 1944, followed by Dowager Lady Stanley 1944-1947, and the Hon Katherine Acland 1947-1966. From 1966 the Chairman held a three year term of office. In 1961 the Ladies Association and the Ladies Association of Belgrave Hospital for Children became the Friends of King's College Hospital, its basic principles remaining the same: to provide amenities and comforts for the benefit of patients and staff of King's College Hospital. All its members are volunteers. The Friends established the Kingfishers, a junior branch specially concerned with raising money for child patients, with its own Committee.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Minutes of monthly meetings, meeting papers, correspondence and annual reports of the Ladies Association and the Friends of King's College Hospital, 1955-1966; minutes of monthly meetings and annual reports the Friends of King's College Hospital (incorporating the Kingfishers), 1976-1988.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Conditions governing access:

Administrative and committee papers are closed for 30 years from the last date on file.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Director of Archive Services, King's College London.

Finding aids:

Handlist available in the reading room of the College Archives.

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

King's College Hospital.

Allied Materials

Related material:

National Register of Archives: Click here to view NRA record

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

Rules or conventions:

Date(s) of descriptions:
Mar 2000