MARY McELROY (nee WOOLLEY)

(S:1945 - 1949)

Born in Long Ashton on June 6th 1934, the Daughter of Raymond and Florence Woolley, was brought up as a Quaker and attended Friars Meeting in Bristol.

After leaving Sidcot she completed a course at Bristol Commercial College and worked for the Family Business (Woolley Bros) and the Bristol Dental Hospital for some years.

During her time at Sidcot she was introduced to ‘Workcamping’ as a really positive way of reconciliation between people and spent all her holidays attending Workcamps the first being an early ‘Quaker Camp’ at Bargoed (1950) followed by the first ‘Junior Quaker Camp’ at Dodford (1951)—a truly memorable Camp as it was organized by Alun Davies, and jointly led by a Sidcot OS. (The then Doreen Higdon.) Many Camps followed in Austria, the former Yugoslavia, UK, organized by Service Civile International, well into the 60’s. She helped form & run the ‘Bristol’ Branch of IVS. (1961) and served on the National Committee.

In 50’s Mary decided that she should be doing something more useful than secretarial work and started to work in Bristol Children’s Home which led to positions further afield and eventually with her experience of Children she began training with the NSPCC, qualifying as an Inspector—a job she enjoyed until retirement.   At Home in Weston-s-Mare she became an ‘Emergency Foster Carer’ providing a safe place for a long succession of Vulnerable and needy Children. As well as this fairly demanding occupation, she joined WVS Weston Branch and helped to found and run the ‘Weston Children’s Contact Centre’  which provides a safe, neutral place for estranged  Parents access to their Children, (very much appreciated by the ‘Family Division Court’)  For this she was nominated for but declined an MBE.

Mary suffered from Dementia and died on November 8th 2021 in Weston.

MARY McELROY (nee WOOLLEY)