Central Refuge Offices and Home

Central Refuge and Home, Francis Street, Strangeways

The central headquarters for the work was established at Strangeways in Autumn 1871. This building was the centre of administration as well as providing a home for those considered 'destitute'. Here the children received shelter and education and were assigned a form of work considered most suitable for their abilities. The building was completed in three sections with the last extension in 1883 doubling capacity and allowing for the accommodation of 120 boys. The foundation stone for this last extension was laid by Lord Shaftesbury in June. Strangeways also housed workshops for the boys ranging from Printing, Joinery, Firewood, Tailoring and Shoemaking. All of these, barring the shoemaking department, were dissolved during the First World War. By 1920 the effect of the war on Strangeways, and the desire of the Committee to remove the children to a country site, resulted in the sale of the property for £16,000. The children were removed to the new Children's Garden Village at Belmont Estate, Cheadle. To the estate was transferred all the residential work in Strangeways and Broughton except for the Young Men's Home and Bethesda. Central Offices were transferred to the Children's Shelter in Chatham Street, Piccadilly. By the 5th April 1937 they had moved to Gaddum House, Queen Street, which incorporated many charitable bodies. Here there was an opportunity to exchange ideas and seek advice on similar issues. Finally, with its imminent closure in 1973 due to the Manchester Development Plan, it moved to its current location on the Belmont Estate, Cheadle.

Includes Admission and History Books, Application Books, Transmission Books, Management Papers, Maintenance Papers, Papers relating to the Refuge Old Boys and papers relating to incidents at the Refuge.