HELPING HANDS

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 8th Year

Issue

Issue No.

3

Date Released

Nov 1954

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1PREVENTION IS BETTER
2. 2HELPING HANDS
3. 3FAIR DEAL: regatta story

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 3

Summary

BFI synopsis: Chesterfield, famous for its landmark of the crooked church spire, the National Union of Mineworkers and Coal Board, gave attention to the building of a new wing at the Skegness holiday camp. (Grants by Coal Industry Welfare fund). Derbyshire miners alone subscribed £30,000 towards this special wing for the paraplegic miners and their families. 55 paraplegic miners received a washing machine in their homes, a total cost £ 2,000.
NCB Commentary - Part of the price of coal and of operating any heavy industry is the accident that sometimes happens. Despite all human precautions a man can find himself on a stretcher like this, sometimes to get away with a scratch but occasionally to find himself tied to a wheel-chair as a paraplegic.
This man is a paraplegic, paralysed from the waist down. What’s being done for men like him?
In Chesterfield, famous for its landmark of the crooked church spire, the National Union of Mineworkers as well as the Coal Board has given a lot of attention to the problem.
A holiday camp at Skegness has been built through grants by the Coal Industry Welfare Fund and the miners. Derbyshire miners alone have subscribed £30,000 towards a special wing at the camp for paraplegic miners. For the first time, many of these men are now able to take a holiday with their wives and families in specially designed buildings.
If they want to, they can find relaxation and amusement among themselves, or they can share the happy atmosphere of the camp in the company of other miners and their families from their own county.
Miners who haven’t gone through the misfortunes of their paraplegic comrades can take family holidays here at a low all-in rate which even includes their railway fares.
But the provision of the camp at Skegness hasn’t been enough for the men of Derbyshire. A scheme has now come inot being whereby every paraplegic miner household in the County will be equipped with a washing machine to make life easier for the women-folk.
The first recipient of one of these machines was Sid Hutchins, seen here with his wife at their hope in Glapwell. Apart from his disabled friends who turned up as a motorised column the Mayor and Mayoress of Chesterfield were there for the simple presentation ceremony.
With them was Bert Wynn, Secretary of the Derbyshire N.U.M. - the man reponsible for getting the machines to the miners - and from London came Arthur Horner, N.U.M. General Secretary who emphasised that this presentation was only a beginning. "Able-bodied miners" he said, "will do everything in their power to give paraplegics and their families a life worth living."
In their openhearted gesture, Derbyshire miners have given a lead to the country.

Researcher Comments

According to bfi records, this story was filmed bewteen 30/8/1954 and 3/9/1954 on a budget of £120 4s 10d. The commentary was recorded 5 September 1954.

Keywords

Entertainment and leisure; Health and medicine; Mining; Social welfare; Disabled persons

Locations

Derbyshire; England

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
Film User   Vol.9 No.109, November 1955, p570.
The National Archives COAL 32   /3 Scripts for Mining Review, 1949-1956

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Director

Leslie Shepard

Sponsor

National Coal Board