| Description | During the inter-war years in Birmingham, as elsewhere in the country, the numbers of unemployed men increased. In 1932, the Warwickshire North Monthly Meeting Unemployment Committee had become increasingly concerned about the effects of unemployment on individuals and their families. Having visited a number of allotment clubs, the Moor Green Lane Unemployment Allotment Scheme, and an Occupational Centre in Deritend, they were impressed by the positive results such schemes had in combatting any feelings of isolation or bitterness and in raising the participants' levels of morale and sense of hope. Friends' premises at Moseley Road, Northfield and Coventry Meetings were already being used as occupational centres and there were plans for additional centres to be set up elsewhere. One of these was to be on the new housing estate at Perry Common. In September 1932, the Unemployment Committee reported that sections of the building were being constructed by members of the Moseley Road Institute Occupational Centre and then transported to Perry Common and assembled on the site by unemployed men from the area.
In November 1932, the Kingstanding and Perry Common Occupational Hut Committee was appointed by the Unemployment Committee to manage the centre, with initial members including Florence Barrow, Roger Darby, Basil Priestman, Harold Watts, Evelyn Sturge, C. Holme Barnett and Reginald Thacker. Additional members later appointed to the committee included Christopher Tangye, John P. Glaisyer, Paul S. Cadbury, Frederick Wagstaff, Richard Cottam, Wilson Sturge, W. A. Albright and Harold Watts. The day-to-day running of the centre was undertaken by Edward Bruten, a graduate from Swansea, new to Birmingham while members of Warwickshire North Monthly Meeting provided financial help and donated equipment and other resources.
The centre provided its members with the opportunity to take part in carpentry, boot mending, weaving, and metal-work activities, as well as poultry-keeping and tending a communal allotment. The items made could be taken home, or were donated to hospitals and charities, but could not be sold. To build the confidence of the men, an exhibition of their work was held. Educational talks, a small library, social evenings, an annual holiday away, and the opportunity to take part in sports matches were also provided. In the first month of opening, there were 43 members but a year later following an extension to the building, membership had reached 88, with 35-40 men attending on a daily basis.
Following on from the success of the occupational centre, Edward Bruten felt that a land scheme would enable the men to provide an improved standard of living to their families by allowing them to grow vegetables and tend livestock which they could exchange with members. They could obtain goods partially in proportion to the number of hours worked on the scheme and partially by cash payment. W.A. Cadbury was an early supporter of the idea and in January 1935 he offered 23 acres of land near the Perry Common Occupational Centre via the Bournville Village Trust to be used for such a scheme. This provided one field which was used for growing crops, one for hay and the two remaining fields were rented out to a farmer. Several students, teachers and public school boys helped the men prepare the land and plant crops and a tractor was purchased.
By August of that year, crops of peas, turnips, beans, potatoes were being harvested by the men. Manor Green Farm provided 45 hens and Joe and Christopher Tangye gave hen coops. A cow was bought and four young pigs were purchased for fattening up. The eggs, milk and pork were all sold to the men. In the year 1935-6 the scheme helped 51 men and their families.
By 1936, the number of registered unemployed at the Kingstanding and Perry Common Labour Exchange had fallen to 300 and it was apparent that the need for the occupational centre and land scheme was diminishing. In autumn 1936, the Friends transferred Perry Common Occupational Centre to the Community Association who widened its use into a community centre for men and women, unemployed and employed. In September 1937, due to insufficient membership, the Friends decided to close the land scheme and return the land to the Bournville Village Trust. |