International Brigade Memorial Trust
Unison Cymru/Wales have unveiled a new permanent exhibition in their Cardiff office celebrating Welsh labour movement history. A conference room has been named in honour of Thora Silverthorne (above) with artwork of her and panels that explain her life and legacy.
An activist and nurse from Abertillery, Silverthorne served in the International Brigades as a nurse. She went on to found the National Association of Nurses, which became part of the National Union of Public Employees and later Unison.
First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford opened the exhibition on 18 November with a speech saying 'we can only understand today if we understand the struggles of the past.'
Karen Loughlin, UNISON Cymru/Wales regional secretary, also spoke: ‘History shouldn’t be seen as dry or distant. We’re showing Welsh people that the women and men who have helped transform society looked and sounded just like them. We want people to come away inspired and fizzing with ideas thinking about what change is possible and how they can achieve it.’
Other guests included Unison general secretary Christina McAnea, relatives of Aneurin Bevan and Lucy Craig (née Silverthorne), daughter of Thora Silverthorne.
The exhibition is titled ‘UNISON and the Welsh labour movement’ and is currently available to view online as a 3D interactive tour, which can be found here.
Posted on 15 December 2021.
