Priscilla Wakefield: Quaker social reformer
Founder in Tottenham of:

Lying-In charity

School for Industry

Savings bank

And involved in the national Quaker campaigns of her time:

Anti-Slavery - The Quakers were the first religious denomination on either side of the Atlantic to come out against slavery. Although there were only around 20,000 Quakers in Britain during her life time, nine of the 12 members of the abolition committee were Quakers. Their support and organisation was seen to be of vital importance. Quakers were also at the forefront of the movement to boycott goods, such as sugar and cotton, produced by slave labour. When the abolitionist movement faltered in the mid 1790s and the late 1820s, the women’s Anti-Slavery Societies were credited with keeping the movement alive.

Prison reform: promoting activities to make positive change more likely, such as separating women and children from men and the development of purposeful activity of work or education.
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The Credit Union
in Haringey is a savings and loans co-operative owned and controlled by its members. It offers easy ways to save and great value loans plus they are local and more ethical.

As a member of London Capital Credit Union you can now access a range of affordable financial products. As a member you will also own a share of the co-operative and will normally receive a dividend on your savings or a rebate on interest paid on your borrowings.  The objectives of the Credit Union are to:
  • promote saving
  • offer low cost loans
  • deal with debt
  • educate members in the wise management of their money
  • reduce poverty

Information on joining the London Credit Union is on the Haringey Council website
British Quakers today:
A radical faith community who believe in working together – across borders and beliefs – to create a more just, equal and peaceful world.

Economic Justice and Sustainability are two areas of current Quaker action in which Priscilla Wakefield would surely have been engaged (including quotes from Quaker documents in italics):

Economic justice: Quakers want an economic system that has equality, justice and environmental sustainability at its heart.

The global economic system is posited on continued expansion and growth, and in its pursuit of growth it is often unjust, violent and destructive
Sustainability: Quakers understand climate change to be a symptom of a greater challenge: how to live sustainably and justly on this earth.

The action we are ready to take at this time is to make a strong corporate
commitment to become a low–carbon, sustainable community
Quakers in Britain
Follow @EarthEconQuaker
for actions, analysis & stories from Friends on Economic Justice and Sustainability