Catalogue description CHILD WELFARE ASSOCIATION

This record is held by Merseyside Record Office

Details of 364CWA
Reference: 364CWA
Title: CHILD WELFARE ASSOCIATION
Description:

1 Minutes 1908-1951

 

2 Finance 1918-1961

 

3 Annual Reports 1903-1971

 

4 Medical/Diagnosis Books 1956-1967

 

5 Correspondence 1910-1963

 

6 Publications 1914-1957

 

7 Margaret Beavan 1927-1931

 

8 Christine Finchett (private papers, Girl Guides) 1918-1932

 

9 Newspaper cuttings, scrapbooks, etc 1911-1958

 

10 Photographs c1913-1930

 

11 North of England Sanatorium 1872-1947

Date: 1872-1971
Held by: Merseyside Record Office, not available at The National Archives
Copies held at:

A 1916 film of the work of the Invalid Childrens Assoc was copied by the N.W. Film Archive who retain the video copies.

Language: English
Creator:

Child Welfare Association, Merseyside

Invalid Children's Association, Merseyside

Physical description: 11 series
Access conditions:

Access will be granted to any accredited reader, although some the minutes of the Case Committee (1/17) and the medical/diagnosis books contain senstive personal information and are not available for public inspection for 100 years.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The records were deposited by R Campbell, the Chief Executive of the Personal Service Society, on 16 February 1978 (1978-16) on permanant loan.

Subjects:
  • Merseyside
Administrative / biographical background:

The Child Welfare Association (formerly the Invalid Children's Association) began as a branch of the Kyrle Society (see 3/3 below), but by 1907 the work had expanded to justify the setting up of a separate organisation. In 1908 an office was found in Seel St with Margart Beavan acting as Secretary.

 

The aim of the work was to help invalid and crippled needy children, and to improve ante-natal care. The importance of the role of the mother in the household was recognised and the Association tried to ease their burden by providing holidays for them. Several institutions were established by the CWA to help both children and mothers. In 1913 the Leasowe Open-Air Hospital for children up to the age of 16 was opened. One wing was used as a Babies Hospital, but the increased number of patients led to a separate Hospital for Babies in Woolton.

 

Convalescent Homes, such as the Ellen Gonner Home in West Kirby, and Beechley in Allerton, were acquired and many thousands of children were given medically supervised holidays. Apart from medical help, the Association also gave one off grants of money, furniture or clothes to families with children in need.

 

Many prominent people were involved with the CWA, including the Earl and Countess of Derby and several Lord Mayors. The name most closely associated with the CWA is that of Margaret Beavan, who was Secretary and Director of the Association from 1908 to her death in 1931. She was known as the "little Mother of Liverpool" and worked tirelessly for all children. After her death her former secretary, Christine Finchett became Director. 'Photographs and other papers relating to Margaret Beavan's Mayoralty and including many photographs of her involvement with children can be found at 920MBE.)

 

By the 1970s much of the work of the Association had been replaced by state provision and it was taken over by the Personal Service Society (see 364PSS).

Link to NRA Record:

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