Patricia Batty Shaw,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(born Patricia Heckels, 1928–2004) was a chairwoman of the United Kingdom's

National Federation of Women's Institutes The Women's Institute (WI) is a community-based organisation for women in the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. The movement was founded in Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada, by Erland and Janet Lee with Adelaide Hoodless being th ...

. She was born at Epsom, Surrey, England, on 18 November 1928. Her father was a general practitioner and medical officer to the Derby horse race. She was educated at

Wimbledon High School Wimbledon High School is an independent girls' day school in Wimbledon, South West London. It is a Girls' Day School Trust school and is a member of the Girls' Schools Association. History Wimbledon High School was founded by the Girls' Publ ...

and trained as a medical social worker (almoner) at

Southampton University , mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour , type = Public research university , established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...

. She then worked at

Guy's Hospital Guy's Hospital is an NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in central London. It is part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and one of the institutions that comprise the King's Health Partners, an academic health science centre. ...

and St Thomas' Hospital. On 7 May 1954, she married Dr. Anthony Batty Shaw at St Martins, Epsom and took his double-barrelled surname. Anthony was a senior physician at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and was later known for his work as a medical historian. They later lived in

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

, then in nearby Barford, where she joined the Barford and Wramplingham Women's Institute, becoming its secretary. She became the National Federation's chair of education, vice-chair and, from 1977 to 1981, its chair. She then began a role with H.M Development Commission and advised the government on funding applications from the Development Fund designed to assist rural communities. In the 1980s Shaw presided over the WI during the "Jam and Jerusalem" crisis, where the organisation was threatened with being unable to sell home-made pickles, due to lack of hygiene control. She also served in other voluntary roles, for example chairing the Norfolk Rural Community Council, as president of the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association in 1993, and county president of the

Girl Guides Girl Guides (known as Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909 when girls requested to join the then-grassroot ...

. She was a

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...

and chairman of the Wymondham bench. She appeared as a castaway on the

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...

programme ''

Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a "castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings (usua ...

'' on 22 July 1978, and was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(CBE) in 1981. She died on 11 June 2004 at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and was buried at St Botolph Church Bartford. Her husband and daughter, Susan Elisabeth survived her.

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Batty Shaw, Patricia 1928 births 2004 deaths Commanders of the Order of the British Empire British social workers People educated at Wimbledon High School Alumni of the University of Southampton People from Norwich People from South Norfolk (district)