When a new community hospital named after pioneering nurse Mary Seacole opened in Surrey this month, it marked a victory long in the making for Patrick Vernon. A memorial statue of Seacole was erected in 2016 in her honour in the grounds of London's St Thomas' hospital, where the prime minister recently underwent treatment for Covid-19. These are external links and will open in a new window. "It's about acknowledging our contribution to Britain.". See for yourself. Mary Seacole describes the building of the 'British Hotel' - where she will help wounded soldiers - and the events of the Crimean War. The ONS said the risk to the BAME population could be increased by the fact that some ethnic groups may be "over-represented in public-facing occupations". He calls it "a good initial start" but admits he had been hoping for more responses. Undeterred, Ms Seacole funded her journey and remained in the Crimea until 1856. The bust, which features Ms Seacole wearing her war medals and a row of pearls, was modelled by the Victorian artist Count Gleichen, in 1871. ", The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. who was Jamaican-born and of Scottish and Creole descent. The 30cm (12ins) half bust is set to be sold at Dominic Winter Auctioneers in South Cerney next Thursday. Mary was born in … The note instead features computer pioneer Alan Turing. When she moved to England, she heard of the plight of the soldiers in the Crimea and volunteered to help but was turned down. One day in 1856 … Patrick, a former NHS manager, has long campaigned for greater recognition for Seacole, a Jamaican-born nurse who cared for wounded British soldiers during the Crimean War. "Recalling the pioneering work of Mary Seacole rightly pays tribute to our BAME nurses and other staff at the forefront of the extraordinary NHS response to this terrible Covid-19 pandemic," says Sir Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive. "I really do believe this bust should be in a museum for all to appreciate. Seacole was an inveterate traveller, and before her marriage visited other parts of … We are not going away.". "I like this bust because we should all remember Mary Seacole as a selfless individual, that even though she was rejected in the medical profession in the UK, financed out of her own pocket her way to the Crimea to help wounded and dying soldiers. According to government figures, approximately 20% of all NHS workforce are from an ethnic minority background, rising to 44% of medical staff in England and Wales. "As long as we have inequalities in society, there will always be a need to campaign for justice and fairness. These are external links and will open in a new window. But why stop there? History: Mary Seacole- Hidden History BBC Knowledge, 4 September 2000 12.00 At present this site reflects the contents of the published Radio Times BBC listings. The Royal Mail postboxes - in London, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast - … It was was part of the Collection of Jack Webb and is expected to fetch between £700 and £1,000. Last month, NHS England announced that the Birmingham field hospital, alongside six others, would be named after Florence Nightingale. Mary Seacole 2. Mary Seacole self-funded her way to the Crimea to help injured soldiers in the 1850s. Mary Seacole lived more than 150 years ago and had an adventurous life travelling across many lands to run businesses and help people in need. Read about our approach to external linking. Mary Seacole 2. Ms Seacole had self-funded her way to the Crimea from England in the 1850s in order to help the fighting forces. For him, it was about acknowledging "the BAME contribution" to the NHS. The US president and Melania Trump were tested after his close aide was confirmed to have Covid-19. happened to Mary Seacole after the War was over.’ • (Answers: The ‘British Hotel’ cost money to maintain and could not be sold; Mary Seacole had no money to live on; a reporter told her story and organised collections to reward her for her service.) "These types of hospitals are temporary. "I wasn't criticising Florence Nightingale's contribution. https://pal.live.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-53527442, The pioneering nurse behind new hospital's name. As coronavirus took hold in the UK and temporary hospitals were rapidly constructed, Patrick launched a petition to have the field hospital at Birmingham's NEC named after Seacole so she could be acknowledged locally and nationally. Mary Seacole, a self-taught nurse of Jamaican-Scottish heritage, died on 14 May 1881, Patrick called the failure to recognise Seacole 'a glaring injustice', https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52574981?at_custom1=%5Bpost+type%5D&at_campaign=64&at_custom2=twitter&at_medium=custom7&at_custom4=B9D81AB4-93EC-11EA-B0B0-9AD04744363C, A memorial statue of Seacole was erected in 2016 in her honour, Black Britons 'face twice the risk of death'. Full article Daily news briefing direct to your inbox. The story of Mary Seacole's life is told in three short video episodes. That meant I was a Creole and I was proud to be so. ", "It was like a kick in the teeth - especially because of the disproportionate number of BAME NHS staff and BAME people dying.". Mary Seacole lived more than 150 years ago and had an adventurous life travelling across many lands to run businesses and help people in need. But having something symbolic such as naming a hospital after Mary Seacole, would be a clear positive sign of acknowledgement of the BAME contribution to the health service. A recent study by the Office for National Statistics revealed that black people in England and Wales were nearly twice as likely to die with coronavirus. Watch a KS1 BBC Bitesize animation about Mary Seacole. She was destitute by the time she returned to England, but commanders in the Crimea raised money for the nurse, who was awarded the British Crimean medal, the Turkish Medjidie and the French Legion of Honour. In Cardiff the postbox features Mary Seacole. Mary was born in … But recently the Royal College of Nursing have put Mary Seacole on the same footing because of her nursing contribution. "I felt disappointed that she hadn't been acknowledged," says Patrick. We should build upon this. "It also serves as a timely reminder that it is their contribution over the past seven decades that has been a foundation for the very success and continuation of the NHS itself.". Share brief biographical details about Mary Seacole’s life: Mary Seacole was born in 1805 but we remember her today for her actions In 1836, Mary married Edwin Seacole but the marriage was short-lived as he died in 1844. "Everyone knows Florence Nightingale, she is a national name. Introduction Place the video in the context of study your school has been doing for Black History Month. "We always have to remind people that we are here, that we are contributing, that we exist. But having something symbolic such as naming a hospital after Mary Seacole, would be a clear positive sign of acknowledgement of the BAME contribution to the health service. My father was a white man, and my mother black. A Jamaican healer, Mary Seacole faced unfairness and discrimination as a black woman when she tried to volunteer as a nurse during the Crimean War (1854-56). Share brief biographical details about Mary Seacole’s life: Mary Seacole was born in 1805 but we remember her today for her actions during a war called the Crimean War that happened in the 1850s. "The renaming of the hospital is a good start. Yet BAME people make up just 14% of the population. The NHS Seacole Centre, the first of its kind in England, will be used as a temporary service for patients recovering from Covid-19. On 4 May, Headley Court in Surrey - a former rehab centre for injured soldiers - was reopened as the Seacole Centre. When the British turned down her offer of help, she decided to go to the Crimea independently. Mary begins her story with her journey from Jamaica to London - and then onward … She was born in 1805 and was the daughter of a Scottish soldier and Jamaican mother. Introduction Place the video in the context of study your school has been doing for Black History Month. Mary Seacole…that’s me…born more than two hundred years ago in Jamaica. Mary Seacole set up what she called the … A previous petition to have Seacole's image on the £50 note received more than 145,000 signatures, but ultimately proved unsuccessful. At the time, it was believed to be the first memorial statue of a named black woman in the UK. "It's not just her legacy, it's our legacy," says Patrick. She died in 1881 and was voted Greatest Black Briton in a BBC online poll in 2004. We don't know how long these hospitals will last for because obviously the key thing is to make sure people recover. Read about our approach to external linking. Are minorities being hit hardest by coronavirus? "It is the ethnic minority and black historical experience. Read Mary Seacole’s memoir The Wonderful Adventure of Mary Seacole in Many Lands (free digital version) … Mary Seacole was initially turned down as a volunteer to help injured and wounded soldiers in the Crimean War, Richard Adams' books collection sold at auction.