Beney Fred

Fred Beney

Born in 1922, Fred joined the staff of Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) in 1952 as a collector/ canvasser in his native London,  having been active in the South London branch and in his local trades council.  Like many, he was much inspired by the International Brigades in the mid-1930s and went on to join the Communist Party.

In 1962 he moved to the Birmingham office to take up a new role as an area organiser, a position he held for 24 years, covering all sectors, before retiring in 1986, finishing up as Midlands division area organiser.

A lifelong supporter of the Daily Worker and Morning Star, he died in June 2011 aged 89. Possibly starting in the 1980s, Fred was very active in the Labour Party, serving on the management committee of the Solihull Labour Party for many years.