On 21 May 2005 the 70th anniversary of the Peckham Experiment was celebrated in Peckham Library. This was arranged by the Pioneer Health Foundation (PHF) which cares for its archives, films and legacy.
About 50 of us, former members of the Pioneer Health Centre, PHF trustees and supporters from around the country, and local people, saw the old film and shared reminiscences about the health approach which doctors Scott Williamson and Innes Pearse pioneered 70 years ago. They studied what cultivated health, rather than what caused sickness. People all over the world are still inspired by hearing about this and come to visit Peckham because of it; yet children grow up in Peckham and never hear of it. The blue plaque, which the Peckham Society campaigned for, will be installed and unveiled on the Pioneer Centre building in St Mary’s Road this autumn. Let’s hope that this can be the beginning of a resurgence of local interest in these ground-breaking ideas and bring back the Peckham Experiment to its birthplace!
Eileen Conn
