On this International Women’s Day, let us take you back to the origins of Birmingham Settlement!
Wardens, Students, and Maids, 1929.
The founding of Birmingham Settlement was a product of the Settlement movement, beginning in 1884 in the East End of London because of the upper classes becoming more aware of the contrast between their own wealth and the poverty of the working classes. As a result, Toynbee Hall was created. Fifteen years after the creation of Toynbee Hall, on 29th September 1899, Birmingham Settlement was founded in Summer Lane, Newtown. Unlike other Settlements around the country, the committee was entirely made up of women, from president to treasurer, with the first male team member joining in 1913.
Birmingham Settlement was originally called Birmingham Women’s Settlement up until its name change in 1919 to what we are known as today, which better reflects the broad range of services on offer. The Settlement was initially set up to support women and children facing hardship in the Newtown community, through services such as Provident Collecting – allowing people to set aside a few pence per week. For many in the community, this was their first real opportunity to save any money, and demand for the service was high, creating more opportunity for local people. Many people also found comfort in the home visits from their Provident Collector, enjoying having a weekly visit and a chat, and this service spanned for 55 years. Another of the Settlements’ founding activities was providing immediate material and financial aid to older people in the community, with regular sums of money being paid to them from a pension fund. These early activities provided the basis for Birmingham Settlements’ work, now spanning over 120 years with a broad and accessible range of services on offer to our communities.
Opening day, 29th September 1899.
Early days at the Birmingham Women’s Settlement.