Thank you Barbara Castle 1910-2002
PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ANY DONATIONS VIA THIS GOFUNDME PAGE.
However, the fund raising campaign continues and you can donate directly without admin charge via Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council's direct payment portal here
You can also follow our progress on Facebook
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A public campaign to raise money to commemorated the remarkable life of Barbara Castle, 1910-2002.
One of the best-known politicians of the Twentieth Century and trailblazer for women everywhere, Barbara was M.P. for Blackburn from 1945 - 1979 and we want to say thank you for everything she did for us with a statue of her in Blackburn Town Centre.
The Barbara Castle Trust have already pledged £19,000 towards the statue but we still need to raise another £25,000 to cover costs of producing and installing the piece.
We believe that pretty much everyone in the UK today still benefits from the amazing work she did and we hope that you will support our campaign with a donation however large or small.
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"I will fight for what I believe until I drop dead.
And that's what keeps you alive."
Barbara Castle always held a strong belief in her right to take her place in the male dominated world of politics.
She was first elected as MP for Blackburn in the Labour landslide of 1945. She quickly demonstrated what she was made of and by 1964 was appointed as Minister for Overseas Development. A year later she became the first woman to be appointed as Minister for Transport and by 1968 she became Secretary of State at the new department of Employment and Productivity - one of the most important members of the government, with responsibilities far greater than those of any previous woman minister.
When she was born in 1910 women did not have the vote, yet by the end of the 1960s she was one of the four most powerful people in the country. She inspired a new generation of women to become active in politics and fight for equality and social justice.
It was her belief that everybody deserved an equal chance, regardless of gender or race which inspired her to fight for reforms in the law.
As well as being generally amazing, we think you might want to thank her for some of the most notable things she did for you:
Reformed Britain's outdated industrial relations laws
Introduced the Equal Pay Act
Radically reformed and raised pensions
Revised child benefit as a payment to mothers rather than fathers
Won higher pay for nurses
Increased benefits for old and disabled people
Responsible for the introduction of the 70 mph speed limit
Made seatbelts compulsory for cars
Passed new drink-driving laws and launched the breathalysers
Leading anti-apartheid demonstrator
Vocal advocate of decolonisation
We believe it is very timely and appropriate to launch this public funding campaign now, given 2018 is the 100 year centenary of women’s suffrage.
HOW TO MAKE A DONATION
PLEASE DO NOT DONATE VIA THIS GO FUND ME PAGE.
Supported by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and the Barbara Castle Trust, We, the People of Blackburn ask you to show your
support with a financial donation and help us to commemorate Barbara Castle.
All donations are greatly received, however large or small. If just a third of the people who live in borough of Blackburn with Darwen pledge just £1 we would reach our target!
PLEASE NOTE - We are no longer collection donations via this GoFundMe site, but you can donate directly without admin charge via Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council's payment portal here
If you would like to make a more substantial contribution, please feel free to contact us to discuss how you might like this to be acknowledged - Julia Simpson, 01254 588958 or [email redacted].uk 
Photographs:
© Lancashire Evening Telegraph
© 2018 The Estate of John Hopkins
With thanks to Cotton Town
FOLLOW US on Facebook.com/Barbaracastlestatue