Anne Baker, MBE
In the New Year’s Honours, Anne Baker of Harnham has been awarded the MBE for her fundraising work for charity. Now aged 106, she has been involved in raising money for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) for over 50 years.
Listen to a radio interview here.
For over 30 years she has hosted a coffee morning at her home in Harnham. This event is more like a fete, with stalls, a raffle and, of course, coffee, cakes and biscuits. She has been greatly helped in this by the Salisbury Committee of the NSPCC, and in particular her neighbour, Sheril Witt. In recent years these events have raised over £1000 a year for the charity.
But, in 2020, such gatherings were impossible because of the restrictions resulting from Covid-19 so, undeterred, she set about raising the money online. Anne recorded an appeal for funds on a JustGiving site, advised her friends and family, and the money started rolling in from as far afield as Austria, the United States and Canada. Recording thanks and sending out more appeals resulted in over £4000 being raised.
Born before the First World War, Anne remembers the excitement at the end of that war, and then being nursed after catching the Spanish Flu, a pandemic reminiscent of the one today.
Going to Oxford University, she gained her BA and a lifelong interest in History. After marrying Valentine, Anne brought up 5 children and then embarked on a literary career. She researched and wrote 4 historical books.
She adores children and now has grandchildren, great grandchildren and even her first great great grandchild.
Anne said:
"It was a great, great surprise and I'm very honoured indeed to have such a thing!"
Asked why the NSPCC meant so much to her, she replied:
"I'm very fond of children, and I think they're our future, you see - and I felt the NSPCC were really good about children."
Listen to the whole interview here.
During this lockdown, people in our Diocese have been doing amazing things and we want to celebrate them. From clergy and teachers to our young people and older congregation members - and everyone in between - we have been living out our values. So we want you to tell us about your Lockdown Heroes, inspirational people who have taken a lead, transforming lives and communities, collaborating with others, visibly living out their Christian faith. Please email 200-300 words and nice photo(s) to comms@salisbury.anglican.org.
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