Person:Virginia Barker (2)

Virginia Kathleen Denton Barker was born in Birkenhead, and educated at the Birkenhead High school for Girls (1924-1937), and University College, London (1937-41). She graduated in 1941 in Anthropology, Economics and Psychology (II.i). From 1941 to 1945 she worked for the Wartime Social Survey (Ministry of Information) first as an interviewer and later in charge of the Survey of Sickness. From 1945-48 she worked with the Secretariat of the Royal Commission on Population. She was offered a place to read medicine at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in the first year that the Hospital admitted women as medical students. However, she did not take up this offer, instead marrying Eugene Grebenik on 28th December 1946.

From 1948-1960 she was engaged with domestic life and child rearing (three children: Michael, Peter and Catherine).

From 1960-69 she worked as a part-time lecturer in Education at the Yorkshire College of Housecraft, which was to become Leeds Polytechnic and later, Leeds Metropolitan University.

From 1973-1984 she worked as Psychiatric Social worker at Holloway Sanatorium, Virginia Water, Surrey.

On retiring in 1978 she was active in forming the Runnymede Mental Health Association, which provided care for patients discharged from Holloway and for other patients who were living in the Community. She was also President of the RMHA. A new wing for day respite centre was named after her. ³

Ralph and Virginia Barker in 1937

Nora, Ralph, Kathleen, and Virginia Barker in about 1939

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Peter (and Kate?) Grebenik. A biography of Virginia Grebenik. (Unpublished manuscript).
2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Family records.
3.   .

   Personal history details taken from Virginia's own documents, held by Peter Grebenik.