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Wallis House
42, South Park Hill Road,
South Croydon
Surrey
CR2 7YB
Tel: 020 8688 0251
Fax: 020 8686 7114

HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN FAMILY CONCERN

In 1893 Janet Ransome Wallis (1858 – 1928) founded what was then known as the Haven of Hope (later called The Haven of Hope for Homeless Little Ones) in a small rented terraced house in 4 Shernall Street, Walthamstow, London E17.

From the start mothers, if they could, were expected to pay something towards the support of their child in the Haven and they were often helped to find work. Very soon the 12 cots in the Shernhall Street house were filled and a year later they had to move to bigger premises at Vine House, Walthamstow which accommodated 40 children. Vine House accommodated children from a few months old up to 10 years. After a few years it became necessary for the Society to move and it leased Castle House, Walton Heath where 60 – 70 children were care for. Mrs. Wallis did not feel this location ideal as it was rather isolated and too far for the mothers to come and visit their children, but the children loved the beautiful Heath.

It soon became clear that many of the children who were cared for were not orphans but the children of single parents, often unmarried mothers. Mrs. Ransome Wallis saw the problems that these women had and resolved to do something about it. For many single pregnant women at that time the future was very bleak, if her family were unwilling or unable to help, the workhouse was often her only refuge and the suitability of these was open to question.

Mrs. Wallis herself made representations to the Royal Commission on the Poor Law in 1909 about the unsuitability of the workhouse in caring for the unsupported mother and her child. She wrote “To let an unmarried mother go to a workhouse is not only a waste of public money, it is a crime. And this is a crime against the mother for which society eventually suffers.”

Her aim was to provide good and adequate care for the mother, both ante and post- natally and then to provide for the child by means of foster parents, children’s homes or adoption. Mrs. Wallis was adamant that the state should not turn a blind eye to the needs of children without families. These children were part of the future of the nation and she campaigned tirelessly for them.

In 1906 the first Croydon home, Hurst House, Hurst Road was purchased and used as an office and children’s home. Other properties – large houses with large gardens in and around Croydon and South London were acquired. In 1908 the society became a limited company.

In about 1910 the Society opened its first Rescue Maternity Home at Hope House,
93 Grove Lane, Denmark Hill, South London and in 1913 Rokeby, 54 Leigham Court Road Streatham was purchased and this became a maternity hospital and headquarters of the Mission from 1914. A third maternity home was also acquired at The Moorings, 2 Champion Park, Denmark Hill.

In about 1914 Mrs. Wallis was joined in the work by her husband Ransome Wallis and they became Co-directors.

The social upheaval of the First World War (1914 – 1918) led to a considerable demand for the Mission’s services and nowhere was this more marked than in the number of unmarried mothers seeking help. Over 500 women were said to have been admitted into the maternity homes from one munitions factory alone and it became officially responsible for taking in women sent home from France because they were pregnant.

It was at this time that the society changed its name to the Mission of Hope – for it was felt the single woman either pregnant or with a child really needed hope and the society’s purpose and mission was to give this.

By 1922 the Mission was running Birdhurst Lodge as its headquarters and children’s receiving home and six other children’s homes (Hurst House, Deepdene, Essendene and Deanfield, South Croydon and Lillian Baker Home and Tower House, Anerley) and three maternity homes (Hope House, Rokeby and The Moorings.)

As the work of the Mission became centred in and around Birdhurst Lodge and South Croydon many of the other properties were disposed of. Rokeby was the only non-Croydon property to be retained and this acted as the Mission’s maternity hospital until 1931. It was then, during a period of financial difficulty sold and the maternity hospital function was transferred to Birdhurst Lodge.

Ransome Wallis retired as a Co-Director in 1924 and died in 1927. Mrs. Ransome Wallis died less than a year later in 1928. Adeline Wallis (1896 – 1962) their daughter who had worked for the Mission since 1913, and had been Assistant Director for some years, then took over as Director.

In 1934 the Mission was reconstituted as a ‘Faith Mission’ which meant that the staff pledged to trust in God for all their financial needs and provision. It was at this time that antique furniture and an Adam fireplace from Birdhurst Lodge were sold to raise money.

Adeline Wallis died in 1962 and was succeeded as Director by Joyce Muddiman. In the late 1960’s the decision was taken to dispose of the Hurst Road houses and demolish Birdhurst Lodge. The new Deepdene (now the Birdhurst Nursery building) was built in 1968 and opened in 1970 as children’s home. The new Hurst House (now Wallis House, 42 South Park Hill Road) was built in 1969 as a home for older children. Two mother and baby homes, Beracah (17 Birdhurst Avenue) and Birdhurst (14 South Park Hill Road were also built in 1968. Much of Birdhurst Lodge was demolished at about this time; the part which was retained was used for administration and became known as Old Birdhurst.

The Homeless Children’s Aid and Adoption Society, a separate organisation, was founded in 1920 by Dr. F. B.Meyer. He was a Baptist Minister and well known as a preacher and writer and was Chairman of the Mission of Hope until a conflict of views led him to establish his own adoption agency. The Society also ran a children’s home at Hutchinson House, Leytonstone (which was taken over by the local authority in the late 1940’s). The organisation’s full name was the Homeless Children’s Aid and Adoption Society and F.B. Meyer’s Children Home.

Owing to their shared history the Mission of Hope and the Homeless Children’s Aid and Adoption Society and F.B. Meyer’s Children Home always maintained close contact and on 8 April 1980 the two societies were amalgamated as the Mission of Hope for Children’s Aid and Adoption. In 1989 it was felt that a less cumbersome title was needed and the name was changed to Christian Family Concern.

During the 1980’s the Society continued to run an adoption agency, children’s homes and mother and baby support services.

The last children’s home was closed in 1989 and the adoption agency closed in 1992. The adoption records were transferred to the care of Croydon Social Services. Their address is:

Fostering & Adoption Service
Croydon Social Services
Taberner House
Park Lane
Croydon
SURREY
CR9 2BA

So in 1893 began a long Christian ministry of caring for needy children and their parents through the provision of maternity hospitals, children’s homes and adoption and fostering services,. From the start the charity was non-denominational supported by Christians from a variety of church backgrounds.

Over the years Christian Family Concern has adapted its ministry to the changes in society and today the emphasis of our work is on working to keep families together.
It continues to work with families in a spirit of strong Christian commitment and is committed to the evangelical witness of its founders. With an enthusiastic team of Christian staff we run:

• Birdhurst Nursery
• Birdhurst Kids Club
• Explorers – Family Play and Support group
• Wallis House Bed-sit Scheme
• Beracah Bed-sit Scheme.