| Description | On 6th May 1906, Alfred Lickerish along with a few other members of Bordesley Green Early Morning School, Little Green Lane founded a new Men's Adult School which met at Bordesley Green Council School on Sundays. Connected to this school, there was also a Boys' Class for those aged 12-16, a Children's Sunday School, a Sunday Evening Meeting, a Young People's Sunday Service and on Tuesdays a Women's Adult School. Alfred Lickerish was President of the school until his death in 1929.
As well as classes, the school provided its members with a number of social, sports and musical activities. From October 1906, there was a social club. In the same year, three football teams were established, followed by a cricket team in the following year. A band was started in 1908 and in the first year of its existence competed at the Crystal Palace. In 1922, a cycling club was formed and there were also rambling clubs, a horticultural society, a debating society, a mixed choir and a sick club. A military band and orchestral band were formed in 1923, both of which performed at various venues across the city, including the Town Hall, Botanical Gardens and city parks.
By the 1920s, members were keen to have a premises of their own in which they could host activities during the week. In 1922, supported by the Severn Street Adult School Council which donated £200, a campaign was begun to raise funds for new premises in Blakeland Street, Bordesley Green. Members of the school donated £50. Other contributors to the fund included a number of prominent local Quakers such as W. M. Albright, Walter Barrow, George Cadbury senior, Barrow Cadbury, J. H. Lloyd, W. A. Cadbury, Alfred Southall, Allan Tangye, John Glaiyser, Alfred Wilson, W. H. Sturge, John Gibbins, W. Darby, F. C. Clayton and others.
The new building was opened on May 5th 1923. In the same year Little Bromwich Hall Trust was established to manage the property. Made up of nine trustees, it dealt with administrative, financial and legal matters, arranged for the general maintenance and up-keep of the building, equipment and furnishings, employed a caretaker and rented out of rooms to community groups.
By the late 1960s, membership numbers of Little Bromwich Adult School had dwindled to just 4 members. Despite this, Little Bromwich Hall was well used by the local community, with over 500 people attending activities arranged by other organisations who rented space in the building during the week. However, in 1968, the City Council's Engineer ordered the demolition of the timber hall due to its condition, and Trustees decided to put the premises up for sale. The Trust was wound up in 1970 when the premises were sold. |