British Humanitarians - new stamps - 15 March 2016

Norvic Philatelics - GB New Stamps and Special Postmarks

British Humanitarians - 15 March 2016

The UK has a proud tradition of its people offering humanitarian assistance to those in need, and in particular certain individuals who have devoted their energies to helping and protecting others.

From struggles in Victorian England against hypocrisy and violence, to campaigns to feed the dispossessed and the young in the wake of two world wars, there were many battles waged by these six outstanding individuals conducted across time, frontiers and under very different circumstances.

Among these British humanitarians are three women and three men who went beyond symptoms to attack the causes of inequality, deprivation and ignorance, mending shattered bodies and minds, and rescuing the vulnerable. Their work helped to create that which is good in our modern world, and yet the first was born when George IV occupied the throne, while the last lived to see more than 60 years of Elizabeth II’s reign. They were driven human beings, sharing two significant characteristics – a natural concern for their fellow citizens of the world and a single-minded desire to help those in need.

Building on the recent series of stamp issues (Women of Distinction (2008), Eminent Britons (2009), Britons of Distinction (2012), Great Britons (2013), Remarkable Lives (2014)) commemorating the lives and achievements of notable British individuals, this stamp issue explores the outstanding humanitarian contributions in the UK and abroad of key figures over the past 200 years.

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The Stamps

1st class stamp showing Sir Nicholas Winton.

1st class: Nicholas Winton, Sure Ryder and John Boyd Orr.
£1.33: Eglantyne Jebb, Joseph Rowntree and Josephine Butler.

The Stamps in Detail

Sir Nicholas Winton MBE (1909–2015) – saved the lives of 669 Kindertransport children on the eve of the Second World War. Born Nicholas George Wertheim, Winton was a British humanitarian who organized the rescue of 669 children, most of them Jewish, from Czechoslovakia on the eve of the Second World War in an operation later known as the Czech Kindertransport (German for "children transportation"). Winton found homes for the children and arranged for their safe passage to Britain. The world found out about his work over 40 years later, in 1988. The British press dubbed him the "British Schindler". On 28 October 2014, he was awarded the highest honour of the Czech Republic, the Order of the White Lion (1st class), by Czech President Miloš Zeman.

Sue Ryder (1924–2000) – founded homes in the UK and Europe for people in need. Margaret Susan Ryder, was a British volunteer with Special Operations Executive in the Second World War, who afterwards led many charitable organisations. In 1953 she established the Sue Ryder Foundation. A home at Cavendish, Suffolk, was established by her as a home for concentration camp survivors and later to provide nursing care for the elderly and disabled. The charity operates more than 80 homes worldwide, has about 500 high street charity shops and more than 8,000 volunteers. There is a Sue Ryder charity shop as far as the Ascension Islands.

John Boyd Orr (1880–1971) – advocated improved nutrition and global food provision and made a significant contribution to food security. He was a Scottish teacher, doctor, biologist and politician who received the Nobel Peace Prize for his scientific research into nutrition and his work as the first Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Eglantyne Jebb (1876–1928) – campaigned for the rights and welfare of children, and founded the organisation that became the Save the Children Fund. As World War I was coming to an end, and the German and Austro-Hungarian economies came near to collapse, it was clear to that the children of these countries were suffering appallingly from the effects of the war and the Allied blockade, which continued even when an armistice was signed. A pressure group, the Fight the Famine Council, was set up in 1919 to persuade the British government to end the blockade.

Joseph Rowntree (1836–1925) – businessman who championed social reform and workers’ welfare. Outside his business activities Rowntree is perhaps best known for being a champion of social reform. Even as a powerful businessman, he was deeply interested in improving the quality of life of his employees; his employees. He provided them with a library, free education, a works magazine, a social welfare officer, a doctor, a dentist and a pension fund.

Josephine Butler (1828–1906) – campaigned for women’s rights and social reform.
She was intensely religious as an evangelical Anglican. Along with other charity efforts, she led the long campaign for the repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts both in Britain and internationally from 1869 to 1886 because the acts harmed and unfairly imprisoned young women who were suspected of being prostitutes.

Technical details and details of background images:

The stamps were designed by Hat-trick Deisgn and are printed by International Security Printers in lithography. The 35mm square stamps are perf 14.5 in sheets of 30/60 (phosphor not known).
The stamps will be issued in two sheets with three se-tenant designs per sheet, enabling customers to buy a vertical strip of any individual.

Acknowledgements:
Nicholas Winton © Matej Divizna/Getty Images; Sue Ryder © photograph by Snowdon/Trunk Archive; John Boyd Orr © Elliot & Fry/National Portrait Gallery, London; Eglantyne Jebb © with kind permission of Save the Children; Joseph Rowntree © Davis/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images; Josephine Butler © INTERFOTO/Sammlung Rauch/Mary Evans Picture Library.
Stamp designs© Royal Mail Group Ltd 2016

Products issued, available from Royal Mail:

Set of 6 stamps (2 strips of 3) -- First day cover -- Presentation pack -- Stamp cards (set of 6) -- Stamps Souvenir (ie unaddressed first day cover sold for 90 days)

This page is for information only, we shall not be stocking these stamps.

Special Postmarks

Postmarks available for the day of issue are shown here. These postmarks cannot be obtained after the date of issue. The images shown here may not be to scale. We understand that FD1606TH & PL (and maybe NP) will be applied in red.


Ref FD1606TH Philatelic Bureau Official Postmark "Humanitarian - A Person Who Seeks to Promote Human Welfare".	Ref FD1606PL "If Something is not Impossible, then there must be a way to do it" - Nicholas Winton. Winton, Northallerton Official Postmark	Ref FD1606NP Winton, Northallerton, Official non-pictorial Postmark	Ref M13757 Princess Diana Way, Rednal

Ref L13754 London NW3 Portrait of Sir Nicholas Winton	Ref L13755 Hope Square, Liverpool Street Station, London	Ref L13576 London	Ref N13759 Wooler Portrait of Josephine Butler

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This page created 25 February 2016

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Norvic Philatelics, PO Box 119, Dereham, NR20 3YN, GB. UK Phone: 08450 090939 -- Skype:ian.billings-norvic