Description:Officials of the Littleworth Memorial Centre are pictured at their annual meeting held on Friday 25 April at the County Secondary Modern School for Boys on Fairway, Stafford. Left to right front row: Mr C S Williscroft, Hon. Secretary, Mr E Clews, President, Mr E Law, Chairman; back row: Mr H Smith, Mr T Perkin, Mr B Wilson, Mr J Espley and Mr B Birch.
After hearing Mr H Smith, Secretary of the South Staffordshire Council of Social Services speak, yet again they had come to their annual meeting hoping to hear that they could begin to build their community centre and yet again they found new complications were holding them back. A letter from Mr B Wilson, of the County Education Department, to Mr C Williscroft, Hon. Secretary of the Institute was read. It quoted an extract from a letter received from the Clerk of the County Council which was favourable for the erection of the building.
Mr Smith said that everything seemed alright and then the Minister of Education put a ban on the building of community centres. He was told that the erection of new buildings was not going to be permitted unless the whole of the building was going to be erected by voluntary labour and the total expense was not to exceed £1,000. The Minister would also permit the adaption of existing buildings within the limit of £1,000. Mr Smith said that he had been to London to put forward the case that the new community centre for Littleworth district was the moving of an existing building used during the war by troops, to a site in Littleworth. He was told in London that this contention was a little difficult, but the National Federation were most anxious that a case of this nature should be put to the Minister for a ruling. If it was accepted, it would mean that many more schemes throughout the country could go forward. If the case was not accepted and the Ministry of Education refused to make a grant, then they could either make another application using voluntary labour to build the centre, or they could apply to the Ministry of Works for a civil building licence. The money in the funds was excellent, he said. The fund stood at £1,431 7s 10d, the income for the past year was £550 0s 6d. The important thing was to raise more money and suggested a target of £250 by the end of the year, because if they had to build without a grant, it would take most of their funds and they would need more for the starting of the centre.
During the meeting Mr E Clews was re-elected President, Councillor C Jones and Mr B Birch were re-elected Vice-Presidents and Councillor J T E Storer was elected a Vice-President, Mr E Law was re-elected Chairman; Mr J Espley, Hon. Treasurer and Mr C Williscroft, Hon. Secretary, Councillor A E Collins and Mr E Morgan were re-elected Hon. Auditors. The following were elected to the Committee: Mr E Law, Mr F Whittaker, Mr H Smith, Mr J Hingerty, Mr E Bashforth, Mr J Espley, Mr P Groucott, Mr W Tinkler, Mr D Hunt, Mr C Williscroft, Mr D Voss, Mrs D Drover, Mrs F Groucott, Mrs W Mellor, Miss W Wharne, Mrs J Moss, Miss P Wharne and Mrs Ravenscroft.
This photograph was published in the Staffordshire Newsletter on Saturday 3 May 1952. Reproduced by kind permission of the Staffordshire Newsletter who retain copyright.