Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1976 - 1988 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
5 Archival Boxes.
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Barbara Burford was born in Jamaica in 1944. She moved to London in 1955 with her family, where she attended school and went onto study Medicine at London University. Barbara enjoyed a varied career with the NHS, the civil service and later as a consultant to various public-sector organisations. Barbara pioneered learning and social change throughout her career, and promoted equality in all that she did.
Barbara’s career in the NHS began in 1964. Initially, she specialised in postgraduate teaching hospitals, before leading a team at the Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. She ran the pulmonary vascular laboratory there for several years during the 1980s and her team was central to several breakthroughs in heart and lung transplant surgery for infants and children. Later in the 1990s, Barbara moved to Leeds to set up IT systems for the NHS executive, a key achievement of which being Positively Diverse – a programme of guidelines designed to help achieve equality in the NHS. From 1999 Barbara was the director of Equality and Diversity at the Department of Health, beginning many initiatives that are now well established. In 2005, shortly before her retirement, the University of Bradford appointed her Deputy Director of its Centre for Inclusion and Diversity. Barbara then set up a consultancy to carry on her mentoring and coaching work.
During her lifetime Barbara was also a writer, with a particular interest in science fiction and very engaged in feminist politics. She wrote plays, poetry, short stories and a novella. Her play Patterns was produced at the Drill Hall theatre in 1984; the same year that her poetry featured in A Dangerous Knowing – Four Black Women Poets. In 1986 she published The Threshing Floor, a novella and collection of short stories.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This collection contains records relating to the life of Barbara Burford, including drafts of literary works, research notes, professional and personal correspondence, photographs, memorabilia and cassette tapes.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
This material has been appraised in line with the standard GB 1534 procedures.
Accruals
No further accruals expected.
System of arrangement
Organised into four thematic series. Subseries are also organised thematically. Original order has been maintained where possible.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Access through consultation with Glasgow Women's Library's. Email to make an appointment: info@womenslibrary.org.uk
Conditions governing reproduction
Consultation with Glasgow Women's Library (GWL).
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
There are no physical characteristics that affect the use of this material.
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
This material is original.
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description, International Council on Archives (2nd edition, 2000).
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Created by Ellen Embleton, 27th of March 2018.
Language(s)
- English