Early supporter of BASICS, Lord Ashley dies
A past Labour MP for Stoke on Trent Jack Ashley was profoundly deaf following surgery to repair a perforated eardrum in the mid 1960's. Throughout his long and distinguished parliamentary career he was widely respected for his championing of health and welfare issues which included making TV accessible for the deaf, supporting the rights of those born suffering from the effects of Thalidomide and countering bullying in the military
Less well remembered, but key to the early days of BASICS is that in his role as the founding chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Disablement group he greatly admired of the work of our founder Dr Ken Easton and supported the establishment of the then British Association of Immediate Care Schemes.
Trustee and past Honorary-Treasurer of BASICS Dr Ken Hines recalls that Lord Ashley fought and won several important battles within government that secured essential funding and development grants on more than one occasion for BASICS. Ken said of Lord Ashley, 'I do not think it an exaggeration to say he was probably a key player in ensuring the long term future for BASICS at that time.'
Lord Ashley was made a Honorary Life Member of BASICS in recognition of his efforts on the Association's behalf.