Our history
Leagues of Friends have a long and proud history that predates the establishment of the NHS.
During industrialisation as Britain flourished, great disparities emerged between people who could afford good quality health care and those who could not. Hundreds of small hospitals sprung up with many key services, including laundry, cleaning and befriending provided by volunteers willing to give their time to help local people in need. Soon the British Hospital Association was formed followed closely in 1949 by the establishment of the National League of Friends. The League aimed to unite the work of these special volunteers, to provide support to their efforts and to promote the critical contribution they were making to health and social care.
In 1948 following the Second World War and in recognition of the need for free and accessible health care for all, the NHS was formed. Even in those early days, Aneurin Bevan acknowledged that there would always be a role for volunteers in providing value driven health and social care services in the UK. As our health system comes under increasing pressure, the ongoing support of volunteers is of paramount importance.
The change of identity from the National Association of Leagues of Hospital Friends to National Association of Hospital and Community Friends in 1998, and finally to Attend in 2006, reflects a broadening in the focus and concerns of the work of our volunteers. Today while the majority of our members continue to support health care in hospitals, over 40% of our groups are based in the wider community. These volunteers support people facing other challenges including mental health and learning difficulties, and in a range of settings including hospices, community centres, prison and courts.
From 1952 until her death in 2002, HRH Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother gave tremendous support to League of Friends volunteers. In March 2003 we were delighted to welcome Her grandson HRH Prince Andrew the Duke of York to the role of Royal Patron and have been very grateful of his tremendous support.
As demands on the NHS and social services continue to increase, Friends volunteers will remain part of the solution. Drawing strength from their long experience in health care, volunteers can help to meet the challenges of the future. Part of the role of Attend is to increase the scope of the work of its members.
In the new Millennium we are still helping groups to establish new projects, both in hospitals and in the wider community, by providing support, advice, grants and insurance. Of course, volunteering is always about people – and it is through their ability to provide local solutions to local needs that Friends will continue to make a difference.