September 15th 1928 saw the inauguration of the British Federation of Notre Dame de Namur Associations. Representatives from over thirty associations gathered together at the Convent of Notre Dame, Bignor St, Manchester and agreed to form a Federation. “ It’s object shall be to bring into communication with one another the old pupils of the Notre Dame (de Namur) Schools of Great Britain through their organised Associations,by affording facilities for mutual assistance among its members, for the furtherance of Catholic education and interests, to formulate and promote movements requiring the support of educated Catholic women, and for the welfare of Notre Dame de Namur.”
The initial step in the formation of a British Federation was taken as a result of a letter received from Sister Superior Provincial on April 26th 1928, enclosing one from “The Federation of Notre Dame de Namur Alumnae, Washington.
The letter from Washington expressed the desire that the Alumnae of England should be affiliated to the American Federation.
As a response to Sister Superior Provincial’s letter the Executive Committee of the Clapham Notre Dame Association, at a meeting held on May 17th, decided that their Honorary Secretary should approach other Notre Dame Associations to find out their views on the matter.
The response from the British Associations was excellent, and at a committee meeting of Clapham N.D. Association on
May 31st, it was decided that this association should take the lead in establishing the British Federation of Notre Dame Old Pupils Association,
a) Because Clapham was the oldest established Convent of Notre Dame in Great Britain.
a) Because Clapham was situated in the Capital.
b) Because this Association had already a working committee.
At the General Meeting of the Clapham N.D.A. held on June 9th, the following resolution was adopted,- That this Meeting is in favour of the establishment of a British Federation of Notre Dame (de Namur) Alumnae, that it consents to join the Federation , and that in union with other British N.D. Associations it wishes to send cordial greeting to the Fourth Triennial Convention of “The International Federation of Notre Dame de Namur Alumnae” to be held at Philadelphia at the end of June 1928.
A letter was sent to America on behalf of the English Associations who had expressed their desire to join in a message to the American Federation, sending greetings and good wishes to the Philadelphia Convention and stating that the suggestion with Washington had met with a satisfactory response, and that it was hoped to form a British Federation in the early Autumn.
The committee of the Clapham N.D.A. acting as temporary conveners arranged for the inaugural meeting of delegates from British Associations to be held at the Convent of Notre Dame, Manchester on Sept. 15th. There were sixty three delegates present at this meeting, representing the Associations of Battersea, Blackburn Boarding School, Blackburn Secondary Day School, Birkdale, Clapham, Dowanhill, Dumbarton, Everton Valley Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Mount Pleasant College, Northampton, Norwich, St Helen’s, Sheffield, Teignmouth, Wigan (Mt Pleasant Association). The only Associations not represented were Clapham High School, and (owing to a misunderstanding) the Manchester, London, Bradford, Birmingham, Cardiff, and Stoke-on-Trent Branches of Mt Pleasant Association. Two Convents had as yet no Association, namely, Plymouth and St George’s, Southwark,
Mrs Winefride de l’Hôpital, President of Clapham N.D.A. was unanimously elected Chairman of the Meeting and subsequently the first national president of BFNDA
As is still the case, the president was elected for a three year term of office.
In the preceding years, associations of former pupils had started to be formed centred around the various Notre Dame schools in the UK.
“According to my late mother, the Leeds Association grew out of the Literary and Geographical Society led by Hilda Roberts, (a much loved and respected teacher of generations of Leeds students) with, as founder members, my mother and Mary Jolly (the whole Sixth Form!). The formation of the BFNDA in 1928 heralded the first step forward with a name change to Leeds Notre Dame Association…..”
Pauline Ireland (Clayden) (Past President BFNDA 2003-2006, ND Leeds 1938 -43) writing in the Federation 75th Jubilee Souvenir Booklet
“The Everton Valley Association was inaugurated in 1926 ( I think). The Headmistress, Sr Imelda was very interested and gave us the use of rooms in the school for meetings and our various activities. A weekends groups would go for a ramble- plenty of country on the Wirral. Occasionally we had a party reunion and even a dance in the hall (for a charity). The highlight was the Operatic Society which gradually became very successful….”
Mary Morgan writing in the 2003 edition of St Julie News
The following year at Mount Pleasant Training College representatives from the associations met to discus among other things , the constitution. 1930 saw the introduction of ‘The Bulletin’ which would continue to be published until 1974 when a new format was introduced with a new name ‘St Julie News’ In the years following ,the Federation grew from strength to strength. In 1931 the first Triennial Convention was held at the Convent of Notre Dame Clapham when new members were elected to the Executive Committee. In February 1933 the first Federation Dinner was held at ‘The Rembrandt’ in South Kensington London Tickets cost the equivalent of 47p! These dinners (often called Banquets!) seem to occur quite often according to the BFNDA archives.. In August 1935 Sr Mary of the Apostles SND who had acted as Archivist between 1931 and 1934 was formally appointed by Sister Superior Provincial as her permanent Representative on the Executive Committee. Sr Mary of the Apostles continued in that role for many years. She was replaced in 1977 by Sr Marie Therese Coleman SND who herself had worked with Sr Mary of the Apostles on the Executive Committee as Archivist 1973-76. Sr Provincial still has an appointed Representative on the Executive Committee. At the present time this is Sr Margaret Walsh SND.
In September 1939 the AGM due to take place in Norwich was cancelled because of the outbreak of war. A newsletter was published in 1940 but war-time difficulties made it impossible to maintain contact with associations. The Executive Committee met in Leeds in 1942 and again in Battersea on 1944.
From the Archives
Mrs Winefride de l’ Hopital
Past presidents at the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1988 at the then Christ’s and Notre Dame College Liverpool.
Left – Right Miss Joan Duggan, Miss Eleanor McArthur, Miss Florence Pedrick Mrs Joan Fisher, Mrs Anne McMurray
2000 Liverpool Hope BFNDA AGM & Conference- ‘All the Presidents’
Back Row L – R Fr Dearman (Chaplain), Margaret Lawton (1988-1991),Veronica Miles (1991-1994)
Joan Kentleton(1985-1988), Anne McMurray(1973-1976)
Front Row L – R Sr. Susan Mary SND , Joan Duggan (1976-1979), Josie Spanswick (2000-2003)
Mary Kendal (1997-2000), José Sear (1994-1997)
For more Photographs look in Archives
Former Presidents of BFNDA
| 1928-31 | Mrs W de l’Hopital. OBE | Clapham NDA | 1980-82 | Miss J Duggan (Acting President) | Sheffield NDA | |
| 1931-34 | Miss C Mc Donnell | Liverpool MPCA | 1982-85 | Miss M Jeffrey | Manchester NDA & MPCA | |
| 1935-37 | Miss A A Walker | Sheffield NDA & MPCA | 1985-88 | Mrs J Kentleton | Battersea Old Notre Damians | |
| 1937-45 | Miss M K Duffy | Battersea Old Notre Damians | 1988-91 | Miss M M Lawton | Leeds NDA | |
| 1945-48 | Miss E M McArthur | Dumbarton Boarders Assoc | 1991-94 | Miss V Miles | Manchester NDA | |
| 1948-51 | Miss M C Lord | Blackburn NDA | 1994-97 | Mrs J Sear | Northampton NDA | |
| 1951-54 | Miss K A Rowe | Plymouth NDA | 1997-00 | Mrs M Kendal | Manchester NDA | |
| 1954-56 | Mrs M W Kearney | Manchester NDA & MPCA | 2000-03 | Mrs J Spanswick MBE | Southwark NDA | |
| 1956-60 | Miss M Forbes | Manchester NDA & MPCA | 2003-06 | Miss P Clayden | Leeds NDA | |
| 1960-63 | Miss M K Hare | Liverpool MPCA | 2006-09 | Mrs M R Silcock | Liverpool NDA | |
| 1963-66 | Miss E W Gray | Southwark NDA | 2009-12 | Mrs M W Lewis | Direct Members | |
| 1966-69 | Mrs A M Clarkson | St Helens NDA | 2012-15 | Mrs M Bradbury | Northampton NDA | |
| 1969-73 | Miss F M Pedrick | Plymouth NDA | 2015-18 | Mrs B Shaw | Manchester NDA | |
| 1973-76 | Mrs A McMurray | Manchester NDA & MPCA | 2018-21 | Mrs D Donovan | Southwark NDA | |
| 1976-79 | Miss J Duggan | Sheffield NDA | 2021-24 | Mrs L Platt | Manchester NDA | |
| 1979-80 | Mrs J Fisher | Liverpool High School NDA |