GB 0097 HCA/Friend - Friend

11 boxes

Some administrative papers of Friend had already been deposited in the Hall-Carpenter Archive before its move to the British Library of Political and Economic Science in 1988. Further deposits were made by National Friend, via John Wright, in Jun and Aug 1995.
GB 0097 HCA/Friend 1970-1995 Subfonds of the Hall-Carpenter Archives 11 boxes Friend , Fellowship for the Relief of the Isolated and Emotionally in Need and Distress
Friend was set up in 1971 as a Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) taskforce intended to become CHE's counselling arm. By the end of the year Friend had been relaunched, becoming a separate national counselling and befriending organisation. As the London-based organisation (often known as London Friend) began to spread to the provinces, and local groups grew up, the whole network began to be known as National Friend. It was incorporated as a limited company in 1987, under the name of National Friend Ltd.

National Friend became a network of groups whose volunteer members provided information, support and befriending to lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Local groups were affiliated to National Friend, though they remained autonomous within agreed guidelines, which included a constitution, code of ethics, code of practice, an equal opportunities programme and a complaints procedure. In 1995 there were 31 local groups using either the name Friend or Gay Switchboard.
National Friend worked through a National Committee/Council of Management, whose aim was to support the local groups, provide guidance, advertise the work of Friend to outside agencies and hold conferences on subjects of mutual interest. In 1998, a grant from the National Lottery Charities Board enabled the development of a Birmingham office base and the employment of two members of staff to deal with administration, publicity and fundraising.

Some administrative papers of Friend had already been deposited in the Hall-Carpenter Archive before its move to the British Library of Political and Economic Science in 1988. Further deposits were made by National Friend, via John Wright, in Jun and Aug 1995.

Papers of Friend, 1970-1995, a national counselling and befriending organisation, including and incomplete set of Annual Reports, 1974-1995; minutes of the London Friend Collective, Jan-Sep 1983; incomplete set of the Annual Reports of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality, 1982-1990; material relating to the constitution of Friend, 1982-1986; papers relating to the formation of National Friend Ltd in 1987, including the memorandum and articles of association; National Friend newsletters, 1981-1982; reports, 1982-1985, on liaison visits by members of National Friend to local Friend groups in Coventry, Cardiff, West Kent, London, Bradford, Newcastle and Belfast; Friend administrative correspondence, 1971-1982, mainly concerning counselling; general correspondence between local groups and National Friend, 1978-1991, particularly concerning the organisation of conferences and the production of Annual Reports; comprehensive material relating to the activities of the affiliated local groups which make up Friend, usually working under the title of Friend or Gay Switchboard, 1973-1977 and 1982-1994, including correspondence, Annual Reports and newsletters; papers relating to specific campaigns and projects undertaken by Friend and National Friend, 1970-1988, including law reform, equal opportunities, AIDS and HIV, and opposition to Clause 28.

The papers are divided into Friend and Friend Additional, the latter solely comprising material relating to National Friend. Divisions within this arrangement are, broadly, administrative papers, correspondence, local groups, and campaigns.

Open, though some confidential files remain closed. Apply to the Archivist for details.

Copyright retained by the depositor.
English

Full handlist and on-line catalogue available.

The Hall-Carpenter Archives at the British Library of Political and Economic Science contain further material relating to Friend in the papers of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality, the Albany Trust, the Gay Christian Movement, the Grey papers, the Joint Council for Gay Teenagers, the Robert Palmer papers and the Hall-Carpenter ephemera collection.

Sources: British Library of Political and Economic Science Archives catalogue. Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 project. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. Oct 2000 Belfast Bisexuality Bradford Campaign for Homosexual Equality Cardiff Clause 28 Counselling Coventry England Europe Friend , Fellowship for the Relief of the Isolated and Emotionally in Need and Distress x National Friend Gay Switchboard Glamorgan Groups Homosexuality Homosexual law reform Ireland Kent Law Law reform Legal systems Lesbian, gay and bisexual campaigning groups Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual social groups Lesbianism Newcastle upon Tyne Northern Ireland Northumberland Sexuality Sexuality counselling Social work UK Wales Warwickshire Western Europe West Riding Yorkshire London

Papers of Friend, 1970-1995, a national counselling and befriending organisation, including and incomplete set of Annual Reports, 1974-1995; minutes of the London Friend Collective, Jan-Sep 1983; incomplete set of the Annual Reports of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality, 1982-1990; material relating to the constitution of Friend, 1982-1986; papers relating to the formation of National Friend Ltd in 1987, including the memorandum and articles of association; National Friend newsletters, 1981-1982; reports, 1982-1985, on liaison visits by members of National Friend to local Friend groups in Coventry, Cardiff, West Kent, London, Bradford, Newcastle and Belfast; Friend administrative correspondence, 1971-1982, mainly concerning counselling; general correspondence between local groups and National Friend, 1978-1991, particularly concerning the organisation of conferences and the production of Annual Reports; comprehensive material relating to the activities of the affiliated local groups which make up Friend, usually working under the title of Friend or Gay Switchboard, 1973-1977 and 1982-1994, including correspondence, Annual Reports and newsletters; papers relating to specific campaigns and projects undertaken by Friend and National Friend, 1970-1988, including law reform, equal opportunities, AIDS and HIV, and opposition to Clause 28.

The papers are divided into Friend and Friend Additional, the latter solely comprising material relating to National Friend. Divisions within this arrangement are, broadly, administrative papers, correspondence, local groups, and campaigns.

Open, though some confidential files remain closed. Apply to the Archivist for details.

Copyright retained by the depositor.

• English

• Latin

English

The Hall-Carpenter Archives at the British Library of Political and Economic Science contain further material relating to Friend in the papers of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality, the Albany Trust, the Gay Christian Movement, the Grey papers, the Joint Council for Gay Teenagers, the Robert Palmer papers and the Hall-Carpenter ephemera collection.

Full handlist and on-line catalogue available.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

• English