15 Facts About Helena Sanders

Helena Sanders nee Charles was a Cornish humanitarian, cultural activist, politician and poet.

Helena Sanders was well known for her feline welfare efforts in Venice.

Helena Sanders organised assistance for displaced members of the population of Heligoland and Jewish refugees during and after the war.

Helena Sanders graduated from Oxford in 1948 and by 1949 she became the Cornish representative on the Central Committee of European Communities and Regions.

Helena Sanders was the first leader of the Cornish political party Mebyon Kernow, founded by herself in January 1951.

Helena Sanders went on to lead the party for four years.

Helena Sanders's slogan was 'A Square Deal for the Cornish.

Helena Sanders was succeeded as Chairman of MK by Major Cecil Beer in 1957.

Helena Sanders founded and served as editor for New Cornwall, a monthly magazine effectively serving as the voice of Mebyon Kernow.

Helena Sanders was interested in the governing structure of the Isle of Man as a potential model for Cornwall and sympathized with other Celtic nationalist and separatist movements.

Helena Sanders became a member of Gorseth Kernow under the Bardic name of Maghteth Boudycca at Trethevy Quoit in 1953.

Helena Sanders organised residential courses in the Cornish language, where Richard Gendall and Tony Snell met and wrote poetry in the language.

Helena Sanders went to Venice in 1964 and, saddened by the large number of emaciated stray cats in the city she co-founded the Dingo charity to work for the welfare of the feral cats.

Helena Sanders founded the Cornwall Christian Fellowship for Animals and the Cornwall Cat Rescue Group.

Helena Sanders worked on her autobiography towards the end of her life and died on 14 June 1997.