In memory of James Birchall
It is with great sadness that I write of the passing of my dear friend, James Birchall, who died at home on 11 September 2026.
James made an enormous contribution to social work, the Social Workers Union (SWU) and the wider trade union movement.
He was also a real character, with strong opinions, a wonderful sense of humour and more stories than could ever be told in one obituary.
A friendship and a lifetime of memories
I was first introduced to James in 2006, shortly before my very first BASW Council meeting in Birmingham. As luck would have it, we met in one of his favourite Birmingham bars, enjoying his favourite drink, a pint of Stella.
From that moment, we hit it off and remained good friends. Over the years, I discovered more about James through countless conversations, shared experiences and plenty of laughter.
James was one of the founding members of SWU and served as its President for five and a half years between 2012 and 2020, when the President also held the role of Chair.
He was subsequently appointed the union's first Honorary President. He served on BASW Council for over a decade, was a former Honorary Treasurer and spent many years as Vice-Chair of the BASW Oxford branch.
Having trained and worked as a journalist, James entered social work in 1970. He brought his experience, determination and campaigning spirit to the profession, working tirelessly to improve social workers' working conditions.
He helped lead the SWU/BASW Working Conditions Campaign to Parliament in 2016, and together we presented this work at the International Federation of Social Workers conference in Vienna.
He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
During his time as SWU President and Chair, James worked alongside all four SWU General Secretaries and served during the tenures of six BASW Chief Executives. His commitment to both organisations was exceptional, and he cared deeply about their work and the people they represented.
A man with many interests
James was never conventional. Privately educated but critical of public schools, he was once described as the sort of socialist who believed everyone should have a Ferrari.
That rather sums him up! He loved talking about his two Turkish Van cats, a rare and beautiful breed, and had served as Vice-Chair of the Turkish Van Cat Club. Its President at the time was none other than Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber. James also had an impressive knowledge of motor racing and Formula One.
We shared a love of curry and occasionally challenged ourselves with a Phall, matching each other for heat. He enjoyed his weekly visits to his favourite Wetherspoon's in Oxford and was one of the few people I knew who could drink ten pints of Stella and still hold a conversation!
James was enjoying retirement and had recently discovered a love of cruises. After a lifetime of hard work and campaigning, it was good to know he was enjoying new experiences and making the most of his time.
A final message
One of my last memories of James is a text he sent me at 11.08 pm after his final session in his local Oxford bar the night before he died. It simply read: “Good heavens, I am a Rabbit.”
I have absolutely no idea what he meant, but somehow, it perfectly captures James's humour and his ability to leave you smiling, bemused and wondering what on earth was going through his mind. I suspect I will never solve the mystery, but I will always treasure that message.
James was a committed campaigner, an independent thinker, a loyal friend and a man who lived life entirely on his own terms.
His contribution to social work, SWU and BASW deserves lasting recognition, but I will remember him just as much for our friendship, our conversations, our curries, beers together and the laughter we shared.
Goodbye, James. Thank you for your friendship, your commitment and the memories. You will be greatly missed and fondly remembered.
And James, I still wish I knew what it meant to be a rabbit.
