In
1905 Leeds Poor Children’s Holiday Camp
Association looked back on its first successful
year of sending Leeds’ children to the seaside.
Helen Currer Briggs, the then Lady Mayoress
and Miss M E Richardson, who worked with
the Leeds Invalid Children’s Aid Association,
lead the way in providing free holidays for young children
whose families’ income was considerably less than
one pound a week.
It was hoped that a week of sea air, good food and
sunshine would go some way to alleviate some of the
problems associated with extreme poverty. Low wages,
a significant slow down in trade or the early death
of the major breadwinner catapulted lots of Leeds’
families close to destitution. Excited children gathered
at the Wellington Street station and caught the 2.15
pm train from Leeds to arrive at the camp at 6.00
pm. A report during the season of 1908 noted that
a total of “1,515 solid pounds of flesh had
been added to the 674 children who went to the camp,
for the total outlay of £692 11s 3d. In other
words, two pounds weight for every £1 spent.”
In
1914, the official opening took place of the Leeds
Children’s Holiday Camp, Silverdale,
attended by the Lord and Lady Mayoress of Leeds. The
Yorkshire Post dated 18 November 1936 carried an obituary
acknowledging the great philanthropic work of Former
Lady Mayoress Mrs Currer Briggs, acknowledging
her benevolent work as co-founder of the Leeds
Children’s Holiday Camp. She died aged
77 and left an important legacy that still survives
today. The camp remained open throughout World War
II as there was a fervent need for respite and support
for many families who had loved ones on the battlefield
and away from home.
The
Silverdale Holiday Centre now offers
full state of the art facilities, with heated swimming
pool, safe play areas and lots of different activities.
The centre is DDA compliant and can offer spaces for
children with special needs. The Leeds Children’s
Holiday Camp Association still offers a five-day
free holiday by the sea for the primary school children
of Leeds. Places are always over-subscribed and the
Trustees and supporters of the charity are continually
looking at ways in which we can raise more funds in
order that more children can enjoy the sea air for
another 100 years to come.
