Mary Applebey, who has died aged 96, was appointed in 1951 the general secretary of the National Association of Mental Health, the forerunner organisation to Mind. Mary had experienced the reality of mental health issues within her immediate family and her crusade over the next 25 years was to find new ways of transforming the lives of those suffering with mental illness.
From relatively insignificant beginnings Mary developed NAMH to become hugely influential, employing 200 people and regularly consulted by government, the judiciary, the NHS and social work organisations. In the early 70s she had a fierce battle with the Church of Scientology, which is opposed to psychiatric treatment and sought to destroy NAMH by flooding it with new members. However, Mary finally won in the High Court in a case that proved seminal for the law relating to charities. Her immense contribution to the development of public awareness of the problems of people with mental illness was recognised when she was made a CBE in 1975, by which time the organisation had become Mind. She was a vice-president of Mind until she died.
Mary was born on Bastille Day, an appropriate date for someone who was feisty, energetic and sceptical of the established order of things throughout her life. From an academic family, in 1985 she effortlessly gained a place at St Anne's College, Oxford, where she read modern languages – and met her lifelong companion Ad Leathart. There, too, she met my mother, Joy, becoming a great friend to my family and later an unofficial aunt to me and my siblings. After time in the War and Foreign Offices, including a stint in postwar Berlin, for which she was made an OBE, Mary was appointed general secretary of NAMH.
Mary was a busy public servant. A magistrate with the Inner London juvenile court, she chaired the bench for many years. She contributed to government inquiries on mental health and on social services. She was on the appeals panel for both the BBC and ITV, a member of the immigration appeal tribunals and a board member of Christian Aid. But she probably took most delight in chairing the selection committees for the civil service. Latterly, Mary became increasingly involved in the activities of Christ Church, Chelsea, including their work for the homeless – for whom, at the age of 94, she was still involved in making sandwiches in the night shelter.
Mary was respected and loved for her quiet wisdom and sound judgement, her broad sympathies and her positive outlook. Her delight in contact with people of all generations made her an uplifting presence in their lives. Ad predeceased her. She is survived by two nieces and a nephew.