Our Welsh centenary

The children

The early homes in Wales were a place of safety, comfort and stability for many hundreds of children.

They helped children develop the skills they needed for adulthood. Nigel O'Nions, a pupil at Coomb School in 1940, recalls his experience: "I was taken to Coomb in June 1940 at the age of nine years. I remember being undernourished and frail and ill equipped to fend for myself, but on my arrival Coomb seemed like heaven.

"After being fitted out I was placed into Candlestone House. There were about 12 lads in each house, and each house was under the charge of a Sister. I settled down at Coomb very quickly as I recall. Food was good and plentiful, I had a nice clean bed and I felt cared for.

"Mr William Clark was the head of the school; a strict disciplinarian and an active all-round sportsman who took an interest in everything that went on. I still feel that utmost admiration for the man who I felt was responsible for moulding my life and preparing me with the confidence that I was very much in need of."

The homes

Action for Children's first service in Wales opened on Monday 2 January 1911.

Newport Road, Cardiff: 1911
A home for young girls, based at 85-87 Newport Road, Cardiff.
Barmouth, Gwynedd: 1918
Barmouth in North Wales was a retreat for Sisters (trained staff who worked in the homes) and other staff, providing a place to take breaks and relax.
Headlands, Penarth, Cardiff: 1918
The Gibbs family donated the Penarth Hotel to us, to educate and train boys for the sea. The site is now an Action for Children school.
Sea View, Penarth, Cardiff: 1933
Sea View, a gift from the Cory family, operated successfully until the 1940s when it was badly damaged in an air raid and had to close for the rest of the war. The children were all evacuated to the safety of other homes in March 1941.
Coomb, Carmarthen: 1940
Opened as a registered Approved School, Coomb was a home for boys whose fathers were in the armed services.
Clarendon, Cardiff: 1946
A former lord mayor of Cardiff gave 'Clarendon' to the charity. It was one of our smallest branches, accommodating just 14 children.
Killay House, Swansea: 1948
Killay House catered for 30 children living in family groups. A hostel, George Thomas House, was later built in the grounds, offering accommodation to young people leaving care. Today, two Action for Children services are run from this site.
Ardwyn, Dinas Powys, Cardiff: 1959
'Ardwyn' was donated by Mrs L Lilie of Dinas Powys. It provided safe areas for the children to play.
Glan-y-Mor, Rhyl, North Wales: 1986
The Glan-y-Mor family centre in Rhyl started in a portakabin, before moving to its current location, which was opened by Action for Children ambassador Nerys Hughes.
Drws Y Nant, Caernarfon: 2009
Drws Y Nant is Action for Children's most recent project in Wales. It is a residential service for young people; just one of over 130 Action for Children services supporting the most vulnerable and neglected children, families and communities in Wales today.

The log book

The Newport Road log book covers daily life at the girl's hostel between the years 1911-1941 and as such is one of the most precious items in our archive collection.

It provides a fascinating insight into the very start of our work in Wales, as well as the social history just before and between the two world wars. The log tells us about the girls, who were mostly in their mid teens, and how they were cared for by the Sisters of the Children. Some lodged at the home and others came on a daily basis to learn skills which would equip them for future employment. The log also records fun events like parties, trips to the seaside and holidays.

Interestingly, the girls of Newport Road are often referred to in the log as 'the family'. This was a common ethos across the organisation, reinforcing Stephenson's founding wish for the children in the homes to feel part of a family unit, rather than institutionalised. In 1933 the log records that the Home moved to new premises called "Sea View" at Penarth, just around Cardiff's bay. This new home was in close proximity to the JA Gibbs Nautical School, later Headlands School, which is still run by Action for Children.

The entry for 3rd September 1939 notes the outbreak of the Second World War and an emergency meeting is recorded in March 1941 which called for the Home to be evacuated. The very last entries in the log book tell us that the girls were indeed evacuated to safety for the duration of the war.

The future in Wales

Today, Action for Children runs over 130 services across 50 sites.

We now support over 15,000 of the most vulnerable and neglected children, young people and their families in local communities throughout Wales. We work with children and young people who are in care, are disabled, whose families need support, or who are experiencing severe difficulties in their lives, giving them the opportunity to reach their full potential.

The main focus of Action for Children's work is providing family support services, and we work with 21 of the 22 local authorities in Wales. The recent opening of Drws Y Nant, a residential unit for young people, reflects after 100 years, the continuing relevance, need and continuity of our services in Wales, so we'll continue to provide these services for as long as it takes.