Children’s Refuge Chatham Street Manchester

Replaced an earlier building on the same site. brick and red sandstone. some arts and crafts touches. Also known as Indemnity House

 THE CHILDREN’S SHELTER, OPENING OF NEW PREMISES IN CHATHAM-STREET - The Children's Shelter of the Boys' and Girls' Refugee, Strangeways. has been carrying on its valuable work for 23 years, and in first week of May will enter upon a more extended sphere of usefulness, for it is expected that the opening will then take place of the new premises now practically completed. When the Shelter was first opened for the purpose of providing accommodation for homeless and wandering youngsters the old building in Chatham-street, Piccadilly, seemed ample enough for all emergencies. The ever-open door, however, and the kindly welcome inside have become so generally appreciated throughout the city and adjoining borough that the needful ones who are brought by the police or by thoughtful civilians seem to gravitate there of their own accord. Last year (1909) in these ways no fewer than 387 children passed in at the doors, 144 being brought in between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. It is comparatively easy to house, clothe, and feed these youngsters, but the problem of employment for those over school age is a troublesome one to tackle. The Shelter, however, has been made the headquarters of brigades of boy messengers, shoeblacks, and parcel carriers, and by these agencies 229 boys last year were employed serviceably, whilst 47 were found permanent situations in trades and businesses in the city. Indeed, Mr. T. R. Ackroyd, the honorary secretary of the Refuge institutions, informed' one of our representatives that many men to-day are occupying responsible positrons in Manchester and else- where who got their first start in these industrial brigades.

The new building, situated on the site of the old one, is regarded by the promoters as one of the best of its kind in the country, having been fitted with everything that experience has devised as suitable for the purpose. In all, it has cost £8,500. As compared with the old building, the sleeping accommodation has been exactly doubled, the number of beds now being forty. The industrial brigades have their quarters in the basement and on the ground floor, and the dining, day rooms and bedrooms of the Shelter proper occupy the upper storeys. A new and important feature is that the roof has been made flat in order to serve as a recreation ground for the youngsters, and an attempt is to be made to transform part of it into a roof garden. … The Shelter will also serve as a “remand home” for juvenile prisoners. The Children’s Act forbids any young person under sixteen years of age going to prison when a remand is granted and, as the authorities of the Minshull Street Courts have no remand home of their own, and are bound to find one somewhere, they are making use of the Children’s Shelter for the purpose. [Manchester Guardian 22 April 1910, page 3]

NEW CHILDREN'S SHELTER. A COMMENDABLE WORK. - The new children's Shelter in Chatham Street, Piccadilly, was formally opened yesterday afternoon by Lady Crossley. The ceremony marks not the beginning of a new enterprise but the opening of new era in a beneficent work which was begun 26 years ago. In 1884 the managers of the Boys' and Girls' Refuges and Homes, which have their head- quarters in Strangeways, were impressed with the need of a house to which little children found homeless in the streets at night might be taken. Premises in Chatham-street, which had the advantage of being near the centre of the city, were taken, and from that day to this the door has never been closed, night nor day. Many hapless little ones have found a temporary home within its walls and helped on the way of life. A short time ago the old premises were taken down. On the same site a now building, well equipped and suited in all respects for its work, has been erected, and - a specially gratifying thing - the cost of land and buildings, £8,500, has been paid. The new building will fulfil many purposes. It is a shelter for city waifs, of course; it is also the headquarters of the messenger, shoeblack, and parcel brigades. Furthermore, it will be used by the police court as a place of detention instead of prison or police station for erring children. (opening ceremony) ….   About 100 boys are employed in the Industrial Brigades. These boys live at their own homes but go to the institution each day to don their uniforms, and are helped to obtain permanent employment. There is an earnest desire to keep the boys from swelling the ranks of unskilled labour. [Manchester Guardian 21 June 1920 Page 6]

Reference    Manchester Guardian 22 April 1910, page 3
Reference    Manchester Guardian 21 June 1920 Page 6 – opening by Lady Crossley