Records of Riversdale Girls' Hostel

BCC 10/BCH/5 Records of Riversdale Girls' Hostel

BCC 10/BCH/5/1 Registers of children

BCC 10/BCH/5/2 Matrons' journals

'The First Four Years: the report of the Children's Officer of the city of Birmingham for the period from February, 1949 to January, 1953' contains a section on Riversdale. Local Studies collection, ref. L41.31.

Material relating to the administration of Riversdale Girls' Hostel can be found in the records of Birmingham Poor Law Union (GP/B/2/6/11) and Birmingham City Council (BCC 1/BH/14 and BCC 1/CT/3).

Items in this collection have restricted access for 100 years because they contain sensitive personal information about individuals under the DPA (1998). See item level descriptions for closure details.

The Riversdale Girls' Hostel was located at 236 Bristol Road, Birmingham, and was opened in 1920 by the Birmingham Board of Guardians (see GP/B/2/6/11). It was designed to provide accommodation for up to 24 girls of working age, many of whom had previously lived in children?s homes. Efforts were made to make residents self-supporting as early as possible, and many girls were found employment in domestic service.

In 1930, following the Local Government Act 1929 which abolished the Boards of Guardians, the running of the home was taken over by the Education Committee of Birmingham City Council, with day-to-day responsibility being taken by the Hostels and Boarding Out Sub-Committee (see BCC 1/BH/14/6). After the 1948 Children Act responsibility for the Hostel passed to the new Children's Committee (see BCC 1/CT/3).

During the Second World War the hostel was largely, although not exclusively, used as a remand home for girls; it reverted to its original use after the war. However, by the late 1940s there were fewer girls requiring hostel accommodation: more were successfully boarded out from the Cottage Homes, and others were found suitable lodgings. By the end of 1951 the hostel was no longer economical to run, as it was often only one third full, and it was closed in June 1952.

Following the closure of the hostel, the building was renamed Pebble Mill House and used as an ?interim home? to house children coming into care or who needed particular support.