OUR FOUNDING STORY

10th March 1870, the precursor to VSA was born.

The Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor came into being as an organised response to supporting the people of Aberdeen who had the least. It was founded by a group of people who were willing to do three things: make regular donations to support the poor, visit the poor to better help and understand the problems they faced and to manage the Association.

Over 500 visitors were recruited and each was allocated 10-12 families to build a supportive relationship through gentle speech and behaviour, kindly inquiry and interest and advice of a practical sort.

It was hoped that this was a way of coping “with the great evils that prevail in the midst of the population, by organising a system of combined and harmonising action”. It was inspired by similar poor associations in London, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Glasgow.

There was a strong focus on enabling the poor to help themselves, rather than just giving handouts. The aim was to “foster a spirit of self-reliance and thrift.” The Association did a lot of work to identify who they believed to be “the proper objects of relief”. They considered worthy recipients to be “sober and industrious” individuals who, through no fault of their own, risked falling into poverty from which there was no way out. This could be caused by accident, sickness or family distress, which they could not predict or avoid. The members of the Association, through their visits, set about encouraging the poor of Aberdeen to live “temperate, frugal, industrious, provident and cleanly lives” and to better understand what assistance they could provide to help them turn their lives around.

It was not a religious association and one of its early aims was that relief should be given without reference to any religious distinctions and that complete impartiality should be observed. The prosperous people of the city were keen to show that they really cared about those who were worse off and wanted to explore ways to encourage them and lift them out of poverty. Some of these aims, set out in March 1870, still ring true in 2020. VSA aims to provide the best of care to enable the best of lives by supporting individuals and communities to fulfil their potential.

What an incredible thing it is that the people of Aberdeen have built and maintained these ambitions for 150 years.

What a powerful thing it would have been for those founding members to know how many generations of Aberdonians their vision would support.

To mark our 150th Anniversary, we will be releasing a special ‘150 stories of VSA’ anniversary book. The book will highlight our rich heritage, the amazing people behind it, the individuals, families and communities who have been helped and some of the landmark moments in our history.

Did you know?

Did you know that our connection with the Royal Household dates back to 1870?

When VSA was born in March 1870, as the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, Queen Victoria accepted the position of Patron, which was a fantastic achievement for the City of Aberdeen and a real boost to the profile of our charity. Ever since Queen Victoria said yes to Aberdeen, the reigning monarch has been the Patron of the VSA, spanning six reigns and 150 years. After inheriting the throne at just 18 she went on to be a national global icon for her strict sense of personal morals and straight-talking

Our 150th Anniversary Celebration Plans

Many of our celebration plans have been postponed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. We intend to re-start anniversary celebrations in March 2021. These will include:

A special heritage programme which will start late 2020 and continue across 2021 into 2022. Celebration ‘Afternoon Tea Parties’ on the 10th March 2021. A special anniversary celebration event, will take place on the 6th November, 2021 at Balmoral Castle by gracious permission of our patron, Her Majesty the Queen.