(Margaret) Ann Davidson Kelly (1 February 1912 – 18 February 1989) was a British medical almoner and a pioneer of British social work playing a key role in the formation of the

British Association of Social Workers The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) is the largest professional association of registered social workers in the United Kingdom. The association has a members' code of ethics that outlines best social work practice and works to support ...

Life

Kelly was born in

Bridge of Allan Bridge of Allan (, ), also known colloquially as ''Bofa'', is a former spa town in the Stirling (council area), Stirling council area in Scotland, just north of the city of Stirling. Overlooked by the National Wallace Monument, it lies on th ...

, Perthshire, in 1912 the last of five children to his Scottish headmaster father, John Davidson Kelly, and Ann his English mother. She and her brother

John Norman Davidson Kelly John Norman Davidson Kelly (13 April 1909 – 31 March 1997) was a British theologian and academic at the University of Oxford and Principal of St Edmund Hall, Oxford, between 1951 and 1979, during which the hall transformed into an independent ...

were home-schooled by her father, although one source says it was a small school. Her father was unemployed after the school he was head of had financial difficulties. She had a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

upbringing. In 1934 Kelly gained a master's degree in history from the

University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...

and three years later she was qualified by the Institute of Hospital Almoners. In 1951 she began nineteen years as the head almoner of

King's College Hospital King's College Hospital is a major teaching hospital and major trauma centre in Denmark Hill, Camberwell in the London Borough of Lambeth, referred to locally and by staff simply as "King's" or abbreviated internally to "KCH". It is managed by ...

. Under her leadership the hospital became a leader in training social workers. Kelly became the general secretary of the Institute of Medical Social Workers during the 1960s when social work was in a period of rapid change. She spoke up for her profession and its patients and she was known throughout the country. She was the first and last general secretary of the institute. Kelly moved forward partnering the London School of Economics in providing courses. She was credited with being the person who brought together so many different organisations to merge into just one. She became one the three assistant general secretaries of the

when her institute and several other organisations merged into the new organisation. She was credited with establishing grounding the new association. Kelly retired to Sussex in 1972 and died in

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

in 1989.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Ann 1912 births 1989 deaths Alumni of the University of Glasgow People from Bridge of Allan Scottish social workers