Patrick Clavell Blount

The collection contains papers related to Patrick Clavell Blount's work as an anti-fluoridation campaigner, both as an individual and through his work as Chairman of the London Anti-Fluoridation Campaign (LAFC) and later the National Anti-Fluoridation Campaign (NAFC).

The material mainly consists of correspondence with both pro and anti-fluoridation campaigns and commentators, MPs and Lords. It also includes LAFC and NAFC organisational papers including meeting minutes and financial records, circulars and other items produced by Blount for LAFC and NAFC members and subscribers, and speeches, notes and articles written by Blount as both an ideas and anti-fluoridation campaigner. There is also material produced by others which was collected by Blount in his research of the subject including newspaper cuttings, reprints, pamphlets, and leaflets.

Sections are organised more specifically as follows:

A: Organisational papers relating to the formation and management of the LAFC and NAFC, including select meeting agendas and minutes, financial reports and correspondence re. donations, and correspondence files relating to organisational and personal disputes on the overall running of the campaign.

B: LAFC and NAFC material created and published by Blount, primarily for initial circulation to members and subscribers, including circulars, press releases, fact cards, memos and donation forms; a mixture of draft and final copies.

C: Papers and correspondence with individuals and other organisations collated by Blount during the course of his campaigning as reference files, grouped in a number of ways by Blount including subject, type of organisation, name and alphabetically.

D: Mainly articles, reprints, leaflets and pamphlets created by others on the topic of water fluoridation, both pro and against, published in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand, but also includes some material from other European countries, as well as material published by the LAFC and NAFC.

E: Press cuttings collected by Blount on the topic of water fluoridation, both pro and against, grouped in a number of ways by Blount including alphabetically, by mentions of LAFC, NAFC and Blount in the press, by individual and by date.

F: Correspondence, drafts and notes related to speeches, articles and other published writing from Blount as a campaigner for both anti-fluoridation and his ideas campaign. Also includes copies of his two books, "Ideas into Action" and "Compulsory Mass Medication".

G: File containing obituaries and messages of condolence upon the death of Patrick Blount

H: File containing correspondence and copies of newspaper articles collected by Patrick Blount's son following his death.

J: File containing photographs taken of Patrick Blount.

Books and journals produced by others which Blount collected have been catalogued separately;full list.

1950s-1990s

62 boxes

This collection was received in an order collated by the donor rather than the creator's original order, with some handwritten dividing notes. Where possible the donor's groupings have been maintained but much of the material has been rearranged to enhance access, particularly where the grouping was of miscellaneous materials or the file titles indicated an original order.

The original order of the papers within files and bundles of loose papers has been respected. Original file titles, where given, have been indicated in inverted commas; it is difficult to tell whether these represent working titles or titles assigned in organising the material at a later date.

Where possible cross references between files have been added to the item's description but is not exhaustive. Some duplication, particularly of circulars, is also present across the collection.

Patrick Clavell Blount was born in South Africa, educated in the UK, and then spent his early working life in the Philippines timber trade before returning to the UK to begin his own dry-cleaning business. During WWII he served with the RAF as an administrative officer, and for a short time afterwards a lecturer for the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI).

His wartime experiences directly informed his first campaign efforts in 1946. Titled 'There is Always a Better Way', he proposed a government scheme which encouraged workers to come forward with new ideas based on the successful National Association of Suggestion Schemes in the United States, and in turn inspired a Private Members Bill in the House of Commons in 1956 by Conservative MP Graham Page. The culmination of these ideas was summarised in his 1962 book 'Ideas into Action', which argued for an ideas scheme for all organisations, groups, and companies in the UK to prevent waste, increase efficiency, and thereby improve national conditions and quality of life.

Following this work, his interests turned towards the issue of water fluoridation. Scientific bodies suggested adding fluoride to the public water supply to strengthen children's teeth as a post-war public health measure, supported by scientific studies first conducted in the 1930s; Birmingham was the first UK adopter in 1964. However, there was also a growing movement against these measures on a number of grounds including lack of research of the potential dangers, lack of evidence of positive benefits over time, and that it infringed on personal freedoms by not allowing individuals a choice over whether to ingest. There was also the more conspiratorial accusation that water fluoridation was being promoted with misleading and false statements and was actually motivated by financial and other vested interests which would create a precedent for future additions.

Blount first became aware of the anti-fluoridation movement in 1962 and began producing and sending leaflets opposing fluoridation to members of his local council in Esher in March 1963. In July he was invited by his neighbour to join a group of individuals looking to form an offshoot of the already established National Pure Water Association (NPWA) focused on campaigning specifically in and around London but still with the ultimate aim of securing legislation prohibiting the addition of fluoride to the water supply across the UK. This came to be called the London Anti Fluoridation Campaign (LAFC) and was officially launched on 4th July 1963.

Blount was nominated as Chairman, which he initially agreed to on a temporary basis, but would go on to hold this position for the next 35 years as a full time unpaid job. In July 1971, the LAFC was renamed to the National Anti-Fluoridation Campaign (NAFC), as direct alternative to the NPWA, and at its height in the 1980s was reported to have between 5000-10,000 members. He had previously been an NPWA executive committee member, beginning in 1963, but had resigned by July 1966 after a dispute with another member.

The main tactics employed by Blount in his campaigning through the LAFC included sending letters to TV, radio and newspaper media, writing articles and leaflets to raise awareness of the campaign with the public, and giving speeches and talks to groups identified as influential to change including rotary groups and religious organisations.

Blount would also circulate relevant content, including articles, letters, and press releases, via circulars to LAFC (later NAFC) members, and others of influence, on a near bi-weekly basis. He would also provide advice to local councillors and MPs to defeat active fluoridation proposals, and encourage ongoing dialogue to build support for anti-fluoridation legislation.

Whilst all the main arguments against fluoridation mentioned above were adopted by the LAFC (later NAFC) and by extension Blount, his main issue appeared to be on the point of personal freedom describing water fluoridation as 'compulsory mass medication', publishing a book of the same name in 1964.

Alongside his NAFC work, Blount served as honory secretary for an All-Party Committee of Anti Fluoridation MPs group from 1972 to 1979, and in his capacity as NAFC chairman was an early supporter of the Campaign for the Freedom of Information.

Blount publicly declared the campaign as apolitical, with the anti-fluoridation movement gaining supporters across the political spectrum. He was incorrectly labelled a scientologist by some in the media, possibly a misunderstanding born of the fact that he was a student of Christian Science, and had given a speech at a Scientology meeting on anti-fluoridation.

Blount was a divisive figure both within the NAFC and the movement as a whole due to his uncompromising and polemic style of communication, but who nonetheless drew support for the cause amongst members of the public, politicians, medical professionals, and journalists, and was arguably successful in slowing mass adoption of fluoridation in the UK, if not actively legislating against it.

As of 2022, only around 10% of the population in England receive 'fluoridated water', with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland having no active schemes.

For further information about Patrick Blount and his campaigning work, see The Politics of Water in Post-War Britain: Chapter 8 The Fluoridation Debate and A journey through ruins : the last days of London, pp.168, 173-174, 177 and 204.

Duplicate publications, papers and correspondence where identified have been disposed of, as has some routine administrative correspondence and ephemeral material including cash books.

This collection has been catalogued and is available to library members. Some items have access restrictions which are explained in the item-level catalogue records.