Help Yourself Society
The “Help Yourself” Society was formed in 1927 to run fundraising activities for hospitals.
The “Help Yourself” Society was a charity formed in 1927 to run fundraising activities for hospitals and other institutions. The Society organised prize draws as well as published playing cards and annuals which were sponsored by advertising. Funds were distributed amongst organisations nominated by the trustees. After the Second World War, with the creation of the National Health Service, the Society shifted its support from hospitals and large institutions to smaller charitable organisations which relied on voluntary contributions for the bulk of their income. The Society was wound up in 1986.
The Society Motto was “Adde parum parvo magnus acervus erit” - Add a little to a little and there will be a great heap.
Above: assorted back designs featuring a female beefeater (Yeoman Warder of the Tower of London) from packs specially made for the “Help Yourself” Society, c.1930s.
Above: pack specially made for the “Help Yourself” Society, 3 Copthall Buildings, London EC2 by Thomas de la Rue & Co Ltd, c.1930. The back design promotes the “Help Yourself” Annual.
Above: pack specially made for the “Help Yourself” Society, Arundel House, Arundel Street, London WC2 by John Waddington Ltd., 1930s. The two shillings price was to help fundraising. Image courtesy Matt Probert.
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.
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