Yvonne Copley, Founder of Kyra
Yvonne Copley is the Executive Director and founder of Kyra, an organisation run for women by women in York which provides a safe, supportive haven without judgement or expectations. Yvonne led the establishment of Kyra in 2015. Working in a high-profile role in the prison rehabilitation service and as a volunteer with Samaritans in York, […]
Florence Oloman, York Adoption Society
Florence Oloman on the left, next to her husband, Robert Oloman and women from the WVS Meals on Wheels team, 1959/60 Sophie Johnson’s book on Adoption in York from 1943 – 1974 gives a detailed account of the work of the York Adoption Society and of the pivotal role Florence Oloman played in it. Florence […]
Mary Storey Richmond, Bomb Maker
Mary Storey-Richmond (20 May 1923 – 3 September 2018) was working at Rowntrees as a Centric Filling Maker in 1939 making chocolates. When war broke out, her department was converted to produce munitions so Mary, along with her colleagues, was now making bombs. This was highly risky and her niece said, “They had to be very […]
Janet Kay, Matron, St Leonard’s Hospice
Janet Kay (nee Burdett) 1947 – 31 July 2020 In 1984 Janet became the first Matron of St Leonard’s Hospice. Her career started in York in 1965 when she trained as a nurse. She spent three years at an army medical centre in Germany then on her return to York trained as a health visitor. […]
Helen Little, Restoration of the Five Sisters Window
Helen Drage Beckwith (1872 – 1933) was born in Winchester, Hampshire, the daughter of a clergyman. She had an older sister who died aged two in 1872 and a younger sister who died aged four in 1878. In 1933 when she died probate records refer to her brother, Arthur Thackeray Beckwith, who was then a retired Brigadier. In 1899 she married Charles Little in […]
Elizabeth Jane Nattrass, Priest
The Reverend Jane Nattrass was for nine years Priest in Charge of many York City Centre Churches, in 2015 amounting to seven churches – All Saints Pavement, St Denys, St Helen, St Martin, St Olave, Holy Trinity Micklegate and St Lawrence. During her time in York, she oversaw a number of key projects at All […]
Brenda Swinbank, Archaeologist
Brenda Swinbank (1929 – unknown) was born in Ackworth, West Yorkshire in 1929. She went to Hemsworth Grammar School where she excelled and achieved a place at Durham University to study Modern History in 1946. In February 1947 she attended a Durham Historical Society meeting where Eric Burley, the university’s Reader in Archaeology, spoke with […]
Hilda Appleby, Women’s Voluntary Service WW2
Hilda Appleby (5 June 1902 – unknown) was living in Fulford at the beginning of the Second World War. While walking her dog, she met someone who suggested she volunteer for the WVS. She did – and so began her work in the canteen on Platform 8 of York station. She worked nights, from midnight […]
Nicola Spence, CEO, Science City York
Nicola was born into a British forces family, her father being a Royal Airforce Officer. This meant she moved homes and schools every 2-3 years and this was the reason she went to The Mount School, York for her secondary education. Her time at The Mount started a lifelong love of, and association with York. […]
Margery Gertrude Willoughby, Headteacher
The photograph of Mill Mount School, York has a special memory for me. I am a chronically too early person and used to stand alone at the pupils’ entrance at the left of the picture. Every morning I heard Miss Willoughby tapping along, I looked down not wanting to have eye-contact. One morning the tapping […]