Tributes paid as longest serving female member of House of Lords Baroness Masham dies aged 87

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Baroness Masham was a paralympian and was a peer in the Lords for over 50 years

Tributes to Baroness Masham have been paid following her death at the age of 87. She was made a life peer in 1970 and spent most of her life campaigning for disabled rights.

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Lady Masham, who was born Susan Sinclair, started using a wheelchair in 1958 following a riding accident which inflicted an inclust to her spine. She would go on to compete in paralympic games in cities including Tokyo and Rome.

Baroness Masham won medals at three paralympic games. In 1960, 1964 and 1968 she picked up accolades in both swimming and table tennis.

Six years after her last medal win, in 1974, she founded the Spinal Injury Association. This was done after lady Masham noticed there was a lack of specialist care available to those newly injured.

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The SIA issued a statement following the death of their founder. They said: “We are extremely sad to announce that our founder and life-long president, Baroness Sue Masham of Ilton, passed away peacefully at Northallerton Hospital on Sunday 12 March.

Lady Masham was a near life-long campaigner for disabled rights (Photo: UK Parliament) Lady Masham was a near life-long campaigner for disabled rights (Photo: UK Parliament)
Lady Masham was a near life-long campaigner for disabled rights (Photo: UK Parliament) | UK Parliament

“It goes without saying that everybody at the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) is devastated to have lost our greatest champion. 49 years ago, in 1974, she founded SIA and is the reason we have been able to champion, fight, serve and support thousands of spinal cord injured people ever since. Our condolences go to her family at this sad time.”

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