Together Trust Archive

 I've recently been exploring some of the Trust's records relating to Bethesda, a home for children with disabilities and long-term health conditions which was opened in 1890 and closed in 1999. The Bethesda service demonstrates how the Charity adapted to changing times and the work carried out at Bethesda had a long-term impact, influencing subsequent services provided by the Charity. The Bethesda service existed in a number of different locations throughout its history. Between 1890 and 1958 it was located in George Street, Cheetham Hill providing a home for orphaned children with disabilities or those whose health conditions meant their parents could not care for them. The terminology used to describe the service at this time, 'Bethesda Home for Crippled and Incurable Children' would certainly not be used today but was reflective of attitudes of the time. Emotive language was used to encourage donations as seen in the 1891 Annual Report's description of Bethesda ...

“He who plants a tree does well; he who fells and saws it into planks does well; he who makes a bench of the planks does well; he who sitting on the bench, teaches a child, does better than the rest.” - Dean Farrar (Manchester and Salford Boys' and Girls' Refuges and Homes, Annual Report, 1936, p26). I found this in the archive the other day: Reformatory and Refuge Union, Educational Inspector's Report, 1892 It is one of our earliest examples of the education system in place at the Boy’s Refuge at Strangeways. The original set up of the Refuge back in 1870 was to provide food and shelter for those boys found on the streets of Manchester. Within a few months however, it became apparent that education and training was also needed. In 1870 the Elementary Education Act had come into being setting the framework for schooling of all children aged between the 5 to 12 years in England and Wales, although it was not compulsory for children to attend school until 1880. ...

I give various talks about the Together Trust’s history to groups of people who want to know more about the charity. One of the more familiar names of the various different homes we have run is that of Bethesda, which was open from 1890 to 1958 in Manchester and 1959 to 1999 in Cheadle, Cheshire. Having little time to devote solely to this service during these talks I thought it was time to put the original Bethesda in the spotlight... The Bethesda Home for Crippled and Incurable Children, 1904