Forgotten Women of Wakefield Social - Beyond Braille

Join us for an evening at Andrew Street Cafe (Coffee Club) in St John's to hear all about two incredible women from Wakefield, Edith Wright and Emily Fennell.

Fuelled by coffee and cake, safe from the inclement weather and entertained by the Round Our Way team, enjoy learning about:

It's 1869, and two young women, Emily Fennell and Edith Wright, attended an inspiring inaugural talk by William Moon at Wakefield's Town Hall, hosted by Edith's father, the eminent MD Dr Thomas Giordani Wright. His influence in the upper echelons of society enabled both women, eventually, to change the course of history.

Wakefield District Sight Aid has its roots in 'The Blind Society' that was established on that eventful day and, by 1901, had grown into two wings of the same bird, 'Workshops for the Blind' initiated and led by Edith Wright, and 'Wakefield Blind Society' headed by Emily Fennell.

Between them, they created a template of care and opportunity for thousands of blind and partially sighted people across the nation. A template that was, under the leadership of Edith, rolled out through newly formed local societies and national unions, established by her, to educate, campaign and change, for the better, the lives of many.

Not content with treating the social and economic injustices affecting the blind, Edith campaigned, at national and international levels, to bring forward the arguments to make Ophthalmic neonatorum, or infant blindness, entirely preventable if recognised and treated quickly and correctly. This was achieved at a national level in 1914, with over 100 local regions declaring it to be a notifiable disease from as early as 1909. This was due entirely to Edith's hard work, vision, tenacity and commitment as she created the first statistical evidence and enabled other regions to do the same, to enable a national register to be created.

This all began, grew, developed, was tried and tested and was born in Wakefield.

There will be a quiz, a raffle and lots of opportunities to socialise in the stunning setting of Andrew Street Cafe.

Doors will open from 6.30 pm onwards to allow you to purchase a beverage and a sweet treat. We will start at 7 pm.

This is one of several indoor Forgotten Women of Wakefield social events to raise money for a sculpture to Florence Beaumont, due to be unveiled in July 2028.

Did you know that each new plaque costs between £700 and £800? There are currently around 40 plaques with dedicated women's names in Wakefield, which makes us the top city in the UK to recognise our Forgotten Women.

Learn more about the Forgotten Women of Wakefield project and learn how important it is that women are recognised for their achievements.

Don't forget to click the 'follow' button to make sure that you're one of the first to hear about all of our events. You can also find us on Facebook at 'Round our Way'

If you like what we do and would like to make a donation, it would be very gratefully received. This is an entirely voluntary project, and the money raised goes towards keeping women's achievements visible in public spaces. Even a £1 donation helps.

See our FAQs below for more information, including options to purchase discounted tickets. Don't let cost be a barrier; everyone is welcome.

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This photo shows the Wakefield Workshops for the Blind (origin unknown but believed to have been taken in 1911)

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

2-6 Andrew St, Coffee Club, Wakefield, United Kingdom

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