I am a volunteer archives trainee at the Planned Environment Therapy
Trust Archive and Study Centre in Toddington, Gloucestershire, and am
writing to ask your help and to let you know about some information
we have which may be of interest to your readers. The information I
have prepared is at
<
http://www.pettrust.org.uk/>http://www.pettrust.org.uk (Click on
"New: Press Release").
The Archive and Study Centre hosts a large collection of papers,
documents and other materials related to the field of therapeutic
care. Among this collection are a number of photographs taken at
Risca in the early 1930s, where an educational settlement was
established to help unemployed coal miners and their families. David
Wills and his wife Ruth were joint wardens at the Educational
Settlement at Oxford House, Risca, and they worked to set up a number
of groups including an unemployed men's club and boys' and girls'
clubs. David Wills kept a photograph album of this time. More
information about this and photographs can be found at our website:
<
http://www.pettrust.org.uk/>http://www.pettrust.org.uk/
Please click on 'RISCA' and you will be taken to thumbnails of our
photos. By clicking on the 'Larger' link, you will then be able to
see a bigger version of the photo and find out more information about it.
The photographs from David Wills' album show the people of Risca
engaged in different activities at Oxford House and also on camping
trips and holidays in the surrounding countryside. Our hope is you
will publicise this within the Gwent Family History Society, and that
your clients will view our collection of photographs online. Some of
them may be able to recognise themselves or family members, and
reconnect themselves with the Monmouthshire of the 1930s. We also
hope that they may be willing to share some of their memories and
information with us, perhaps by using the online form.
We would be grateful if you would consider making this information
available to your society's users. If you require more details or
information please see the Press Release
(<
http://www.pettrust.org.uk/>http://www.pettrust.org.uk) or contact
me or the archivist, Dr. Craig Fees, at this e-mail address.
Yours sincerely,
Sharon Boyle