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In memory of Eleanor Firman

Eleanor Firman in Geneva UN, 2013

We are very sorry to learn that Eleanor Firman, a strong activist in East London, died last weekend. She was passionate about housing, peace, benefits, but anti racism and disability rights were her biggest concerns. Her death was sudden and unexpected. She had attended a fund raising dinner on Saturday night and was reported to be on good form.

Eleanor was also a founding member of Sisters of Frida and served on the Steering Group. She attended a meeting in Strasbourg for us at a European Parliament Disability Intergroup and then to Geneva as part of the CEDAW working Group coordinated by the Women Resource Centre in 2013. A committed advocate for womenā€™s and disability rights, she was in the Women Against the Cuts and also a Disabled People Against Cuts member. She was in Left Unity Disabled Memberā€™s Caucus for some time. She had wanted to be a Labour councillor in her ward.

One detail that might not be commonly known is that Eleanor was an accomplished musician and a composer before she changed her focus onto activism and campaigning.

We send our utmost sympathy to her partner Gerry, and her family, brother, Richard, her father , Peter, neice Jess and all her friends.

She is a great loss to all of us. We will miss her warmth, her passion, creativity and friendship. She never failed to help and stood up for what she saw as injustice ā€“ even when it is at a cost to herself.

written by Eleanor Lisney

5 responses to “In memory of Eleanor Firman”

  1. […] One reason for the summit is to try to identify disabled people who can take a lead on campaigning, following a year in which the movement has lost some of its key figures, including Debbie Jolly, Sophie Partridge, Robert Dellar and Eleanor Firman. […]

  2. […] One reason for the summit is to try to identify disabled people who can take a lead on campaigning, following a year in which the movement has lost some of its key figures, including Debbie Jolly, Sophie Partridge, Robert Dellar and Eleanor Firman. […]

  3. […] She also paid tribute to some of the ā€œinspirational activistsā€ who have died in the past year, including Debbie Jolly, Sophie Partridge, Robert Dellar and Eleanor Firman. […]

  4. […] She also paid tribute to some of the ā€œinspirational activistsā€ who have died in the past year, including Debbie Jolly, Sophie Partridge, Robert Dellar and Eleanor Firman. […]

  5. […] memorial fund* is being set up by Sisters of Frida (SoF) to remember Eleanor Firman and Sophie Partridge, who were both members of its steering group, and who both died last […]

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