Eleanor Rathbone saved my life by Corinne Jones

This month the 14^th of July marks a key, monumental figure in the British suffragette movement. Emmeline Pankhurst, British political activist and co-founder of the Women’s Social and Political Union was a woman who shook society to move forward women’s rights.

Born in Manchester, Emmeline aligned herself with PSS. No, not our PSS, but the Parliament Street Society.

Behind our own beloved PSS (formerly known as Personal Services Society and now Person Shaped Support) is another incredible, North – West based woman, who looked around her and saw the need for social change.

Liverpool – based Eleanor Rathbone, long – term campaigner and social reformer, was the tireless advocate for family allowance and women’s rights. This incredibly dedicated woman is the lady behind our PSS service, that, evidently, is still going strong today after a remarkable 106 years.

In testimony to her hard work for a better and fairer society is hundreds – well, rather thousands – of people who have benefitted from the PSS service. Here, Corinne Jones, tributes Eleanor Rathbone for the organisation she describes as ‘life-saving’ and her hopes for more wonderful women to be raised, recognised and celebrated for their work and impact in society.

Eleanor Rathbone saved my Life by Corinne Jones.

Archetype: The Creator (innovation) 

Eleanor Rathbone was born 12^th of May 1872 to 2^nd of January 1946. Eleanor was elected as an independent member of Liverpool city council 1910 to 1935. In 1918 onwards Eleanor campaigned for a system of Family Allowance paid directly to mothers.

In 1918 Eleanor could see first-hand that the city was in dire need of an organisation that looked after family-based social work. Her idea was to create a society at the service of any citizen in need. Dorothy Keeling was the perfect partner. This was later known as the Citizens Advice Bureau.

In 1919 Eleanor formed the PSS also known as Personal Services Society along with being a campaigner for women’s suffrage.

Here I come in. I've been using the PSS services for over 12 years. This organisation has literally saved my life and with their encouragement, inclusiveness and support I began to feel more confident. I then became a volunteer taking groups of PSS people to the theatre and other cultural events. In 2019 at the one hundred anniversary of the PSS I was honoured with being Volunteer of the Year.  Since then, I have joined other groups outside the PSS including Women in Action part of Collective Encounters which not only enabled my confidence to grow but I also found a wonderful group of people. I've acted on stage, taken qualifications and grown as a person.

So I would like to thank Eleanor Rathbone, the PSS and Collective Encounters for giving me back my life.

More mental health facilities are needed instead, funding is being scrapped, stopped, with less places to go. If I had received help earlier, things would have been different for me. So, everyone has the right to be helped, included and supported. 

Collective Encounters and PSS have a well-established partnership. Women in Action currently work with PSS’ Parent and Carer's Co-Production Group.

Women and Gender and working with Collective Encounters.

I would like people to accept women in various careers more. Through the years, women have been side-lined by men. Courageous, wonderful women who have invented various things, as well as artists, scientists, astronauts, etc. This project brings out the best in women to campaign for women's rights.

One project we did was to use the BBC archives about women in the 60s to put together a play about women's rights at that time. Mandy, the writer, took the points that we came up with and used them to create a play that put over problems that arose at that time for women. Some humour was added to point out that their women were not considered for various careers, they would be more than capable of achieving that role.

Men's opinions were illustrated and how women overcame those issues.

Collective Encounters have been wonderful in including members of the acting group to encourage and support them to act and take part. A fabulous group of people who guide and direct us give us confidence to put forward our issues.  

My hopes for the future: 

That equality for all becomes a norm. 

That all opinions matter. 

Regain the right for women to be able to dress how they like. 

That transgender people are rightly accepted and included. 

That we treat everyone with kindness. 

More equality, more acceptance of a person's right to live a life they are happy with people being allowed to be the gender that they want to be.

Images in order of Appearance:

1.      Corinne looking at a projection of Eleanor Rathbone, Photograph by Angela Penny, lighting by Xenia Bayer.

2.      Corinne having just heard that she had won volunteer of the year at the Centenary Celebrations of PSS (Photographer unknown)

3.      Corinne with her award photographed by Angela Penny with lighting by Xenia Bayer.

4.      Images of 100 years of PSS courtesy of PSS Website.

5.      Water Colour of Eleanor Rathbone and Corinne by Corinne Jones.

6.      Collages about the Creator Archetype by Corinne Jones(left) and June Hudson

(right).