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Home
Diary
Day Services
Befriending
Housing
Newsletter
Membership
Donations
Feedback
History
Archive
Contact Us
In 1883 an Association for the Care of Girls was founded in Cambridge, in response to a strong desire in both the University and the town to help and protect vulnerable girls who, today, would be deemed to have "special needs". This was followed by a number of national and local initiatives and in 1904 a national Royal Commission for the Care and Control of the Feeble-minded was set up. It produced its report in 1908 and it is generally accepted that this date saw birth of an association which later became the Cambridgeshire Mental Welfare Association.
The Cambridgeshire Association for the Care of the Feeble-Minded was inaugurated. A National Association of the same name had been set up in 1905 and our Association followed a report that uncovered problems relating to the care of mental defectives. At first it was a sub-committee of Charity Organisation Society organised by Mrs. F. A. Keynes and Ida Darwin.
Influential members of the Committee signed a letter to the Times urging the
Government to give effect to legislation recommended in 1908 by the Royal
Commission on the Care and Control of the feeble-minded.
1913 � Mental Deficiency Act passed. A feature of the Act was the
encouragement given to voluntary effort; it was only through voluntary agencies
that many cases could be dealt with.
30 young people was sent for training to the Eastern Counties Asylum at
Colchester and the precursors of the Lady Adrian Special School and the Littleton
House School were established.
1914 � The sub-committee split off from the Charity Organisation Society and
amalgamated with the new CAMBRIDGESHIRE VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATION FOR
THE CARE OF THE MENTALLY DEFECTIVE.
Voluntary work done with a special class for backward and defective children run
by the Borough Education Committee at the Hope Class, Paradise Street.
Littleton House School for high-grade feeble-minded boys moved from Uxbridge
to Cambridge. A separate sub-committee, including members of the Association,
was set up to run it.
The Association became the Cambridgeshire Association for the Care of the Mentally Defective, paid for partly by the County Council and partly by voluntary subscription. The first office was opened in Hope Street and the County Council paid for two Enquiry Officers.
Another name change to The Cambridge Voluntary Association for Mental Welfare. Attempts to start a spinning centre for girls was unsuccessful, but home visits and supervision were popular and special Wolf Packs and Brownies were provided. Local and Central Government Grants of over �300 p.a., could only be used for office and administration expenses and the Association was already short of funds.
A second-hand car was provided for the Secretary, who was appointed as a parttime
member of the staff at Fulbourn Hospital, providing after-care visits for expatients.
The County Council provided a grant for an Occupation and Training
Centre.
1929 � As an outcome of the Mental Deficiency Act 1927 the County Council
asked the Association to draw up a draft scheme for an Occupation Centre for
defectives. A grant of �117 was made and the Centre opened in the Hope Class
building, Paradise Street in October 1929. It moved to Fitzroy Hall, Wellington
Street in 1938 and to St Giles Hall, Pound Hill in 1948 when the County Council
assumed responsibility. The Occupation Centre was the precursor of the County
Council Junior Training Centre (now the Rees Thomas School) and the Adult
Training Centre.
The Mental Treatment Act, 1930 was of vital importance. For the first time Local Authorities could establish out-patient clinics and mental hospitals could admit voluntary patients needing or seeking treatment. There was over 1000 patients on the Associations visiting list, 25% of whom were mental welfare cases, the remainder being cases of mental deficiency.
The Association was again short of funds, but an injection of �600 by Lady Darwin breathed new life and vigour into everyone. A special sub-committee was formed to deal with children leaving Special Schools and a Home Teaching Scheme was introduced for pupils living too far away to attend these Schools. The Occupation Centre was so popular that it had to move to larger premises in Wellington Street and was open 10am to 4pm 5 days a week, with a hot meal provided.
Difficult war years. The staff continued to do their best and the Occupation Centre was busier than ever, with numbers increased by evacuees. Voluntary work was severely affected and home visiting had to be discontinued.
Home visiting resumed and was increased by 50% The National Health Service and the Welfare State became law. and The National Association for Mental Health (known as MIND) was formed. The Occupation Centre passed to the County Council and a full-time psychiatric social worker was appointed to work in the community with those suffering mental illness.
The word voluntary was dropped from our name, thus we became CAMBRIDGESHIRE MENTAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION.
This was a time of consolidation and reappraisal of our role in the local community. Dr. David Clark was appointed Medical Superintendent at Fulbourn Hospital and he immediately joined our Executive Committee. A new era of treatment and care was born.
The Association moved to new premises at Alexandra House, Petty Cury.
Financial help was given by CMWA for the S.O.S. Society to refurnish Winston
House, Brooklands Avenue as a "sheltered half-way house" for 14 men and 6
women.
The Management Committee included 7 members of CMWA. Reading
classes were started for people was a lower clinical reading age and this became
known as the Wednesday Evening Club. The Association held a 50th Jubilee. The
staff was increased to nine: 2 Mental Welfare Workers, 3 Mental Deficiency
Workers, 2 Home Teachers and 2 Secretaries.
1959 � Mental Health Act was passed, and the County Council agreed to
delegate some of its new powers to CMWA which played an important part in the
integration of the mental health services.
The Voluntary Services Committee was set up to further voluntary effort.
1963 � The delegated powers for statutory mental welfare work were handed
back to the County Council with the growth of the new Mental Health Service.
From that time all of the Association�s work has been done on a voluntary basis.
The Mental Health Act, 1959 brought many changes. The powers of the Local Authority were enlarged and the Association had to re-define its role. 4 members of staff became "mental welfare officers" and, after a time, they transferred to the local authority Social Services Department. We again moved, this time to County Council owned premises in Gloucester Street and our remaining staff also transferred. A "Good Neighbour" Scheme was instigated where volunteers visited people in hospital or at home and car owners were recruited to take in-patients on outings. A sheltered workshop was opened at the Castle End Mission Hall. A Monday Evening Club was opened by a Social Worker with the help of volunteers and this was later adopted by the Association.
Our first sheltered housing scheme was opened in 1965 in Tenison Avenue for women being discharged from Fulbourn Hospital. Our Nearly New Shop was opened, first in King Street in 1966 and then after 3 months, in Castle Street. In 1967 our second home in Hinton Avenue was purchased in 1967. In 1969 we participated in a new Day Centre in St. Columbus Hall.
In 1970 the County Council leased us two adjoining houses in Magrath Avenue
for accommodation designed as a "family group" home for people needing
greater support and they also allocated one of their social workers to us for 20
hours a week for sheltered housing work. The Social Services Act, 1970 caused a
review and we gradually took a less active role, moving our office to the Hon,
Secretary�s home and contributing finances where appropriate. 1972 � 1974 at
the behest of the County Council we took over the management of the White
Ribbon Hostel in East Road, but withdrew after 2 years following a directive from
the DHSS. A Befriending Bureau as opened at 26, Fitzroy Street, where 88
volunteers provided friendship to former mental health patients.
After 5 years of thought, planning and hard fund-raising (�60,000), the
Association and the St. Raphael Club jointly opened the Hester Adrian Centre off
Hawthorne Way and gifted it to the Social Services Dept.
1973 � CMWA became a company limited by guarantee.
Whilst we had continuing difficulty in recruiting sufficient volunteers and
maintaining financial liquidity we continued to increase our sheltered housing
scheme and the Castle Row Project was opened, providing day care for longterm
mentally ill young persons. The Castle Project worked as a sub-committee
of CMWA and was covered by its legal and charitable status. We opened the
Thursday Evening Club at the home of a volunteer in Milton Road, and other
Clubs followed.
1975 � Opening of the Hester Adrian Work Centre � a project undertaken with
the St Raphael Club to provide sheltered work and social activities for mentally ill
and physically handicapped people. The center was handed over to the County
Council for management and financing.
In 1981 the One-to-One Befriending Scheme was launched, also from the home
of the volunteer in Milton Road. In May, 1983 we celebrated our 75 year
Anniversary at a function in Old Kitchens, Trinity College. We had 4 houses with
24 residents and 50 volunteer Befrienders supporting 70 people.
1980 � Opening by Turning Point of Southlands, a hostel for problem drinkers,
with financial assistance from CMWA.
Barrere House, Chesterton Road was purchased, following a gift of property from a generous donor. A person was appointed to the post of Administrator and Treasurer, working from an office in this building. A Befriending Co-ordinator was employed, and some Clubs moved from the volunteers home to Community Rooms.
Our Nearly New Shop had to search for new premises and moved to Chesterton Road. Changing its name to C.M.W.A. Management Ltd. Due to legislation, our houses had to have all soft and hard furnishings changed to a fire-retardant type.
Diminishing profits from the Nearly New Shop caused concern and it closed, with many thanks to all the volunteers. The ground floor of Barrere House was extended to provide a Club Room and Kitchen, with the help of a successful grant from the Lottery Fund. Additional Clubs were started, including a popular Sunday Lunch Club for members living alone.
Due to the success of our new Club Room, which was put to many uses, we campaigned for funds to provide two additional rooms. The Cambridge Housing Society took over the management of our housing, leaving us to concentrate on welfare, through the Government "Supporting People". This required two additional staff members as Support Workers.
Housing Support Co-ordinator appointed. The job of Befriending Scheme Coordinator
split into two jobs with job titles as follows: Volunteer and Befriending
Scheme Co-ordinator and Day Services and Service User Co-ordinator.
Service User Forum began November 2007.
2007 - Tenison Avenue, Hinton Avenue and Panton Street properties were closed
and residents were rehoused in single occupancy flats at George Pateman Court
and Crossways Gardens and sharing at Hampden Gardens and Radegund Road,
Cambridge.
Cam-mind celebrated its Centenary Year with many events organised in and around Cambridge.
