On Wednesday, 15 July 2026 a blue plaque was unveiled by Jess Brohn at Ham Green House, Pill. It commemorates the history of the building and of the founder of the current cancer health and well-being charity there, Penny Brohn, Jess’s mother.
We were joined by civic dignitaries: the Lord-Lieutenant for the County and City of Bristol, Peaches Golding OBE CStJ, the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Bristol, Councillor Yassin Mohamud and the Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, Mohammed Saddiq. In addition, we welcomed guests, totalling around fifty in all.
Ham Green House is a grade II-listed Georgian mansion set in beautiful, landscaped grounds. In the 1890s the house was bought by the city council and converted to an isolation hospital for infectious diseases. It confined those suffering from smallpox, typhoid, scarlet fever, diphtheria and tuberculosis. The hospital was expanded in the 1920s, creating a sanatorium where children suffering from TB were treated. After the formation of the NHS it became linked with Southmead Hospital, and served as an acute hospital providing high-intensity care. Then in 1974 it opened a specialist unit − the first in the country − for chronically sick children previously cared for in geriatric wards. Finally in 1978 parts of the hospital were adapted to serve as the regional centre for the treatment of infectious and exotic diseases.
It is gratifying that the house’s long history of protecting public health continues today. Penny Brohn was co-founder of the Bristol Cancer Help Centre, now Penny Brohn UK. Since 1983 the charity has supported people to live well with cancer, offering them complementary therapies and holistic care. Prince Charles (as was) became patron of the charity in 1997 and His Royal Highness opened the cancer care unit in 2007.
At the unveiling, Penny Brohn UK CEO Andrew Hufford read a message from the King in which he sent his warmest good wishes. And Jess Brohn reflected on her mother’s vision and the satisfaction of seeing her legacy publicly recognised.
Gordon Young
Featured image: The reveal by Andrew Hufford and Jess Brohn.
[Thanks to Penny Brohn UK’s Andrew Hufford and Eleanor Davies for hosting the speeches and providing refreshments]