Muriel and Doris Lester &
The Heritage of the Kingsley Hall Community Centres
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On 14 December 2018 Londoners urged to nominate “100 Blue Plaque women”
- At that date:
- Only 14 per cent of the capital’s Blue Plaques honoured women.
- Of the 943 Blue Plaques - only 132 recognised the achievements of women.
That date was the 100th anniversary of the 1918 General Election, when women first voted. To mark the importance of that event, the London Assembly launched a campaign to redress the gender balance of London’s Blue Plaques.
Assembly Members urged Londoners to suggest 100 names of women who deserve the recognition of a Blue Plaque.
The Kingsley Hall Community Centres Heritage Committee considered that Muriel & Doris Lester deserved such recognition and a nomination was submitted in the name of both sisters for their founding and work at both Kingsley Hall Bow and Dagenham.
Below are the documents – the submission and an appendix will illustrations of their work.
Update August 10, 2017:We have been informed by English Heritage that our submission for Muriel & Doris to become part of the “100 Blue Plaque women” at both Kingsley Halls, Bow & Dagenham has been unsuccessful as a proposal was made (and declined) in 2017. Please contact us if you know anything about the 2017 proposal.
Therefore we are currently considering commissioning the manufacture of private plaques to be placed on both buildings. English Heritage has given us details of companies to do such work but it would be in the region of £600 to £1200 for each site. The plan is:
- Draft and agree wording by KHHC (Status: underway)
- Obtain costings
- Seek approval and positioning from Kingsley Hall Community Centre (Bow) Trustees
- Seek approval and positioning from Kingsley Hall Church & Community Centre (Dagenham) Management and Trustees
- Seek sources of funding
If you agree that Muriel & Doris should be recognised in this way, please contact us at info@muriellester.org
There is a blue plaque at Kingsley Hall in Bow but it records the time Gandhi stayed there
There is a “local” plaque on the home in Loughton, Essex where the Lester Sisters lived.