Research papers of Barbara Vessey in connection with her work on the 'British Boys for British Farms' (BBBF) training scheme. Records include correspondence, audio tapes, photographs, newspapers and leaflets.
This research was incorporated into Vessey's publication 'British Boys for British Farms: the story of the YMCA's Farm Training Scheme', published by the National Council of YMCAs in 1995.
Barbara Vessey is the author of 'British Boys for British Farms: the story of the YMCA's Farm Training Scheme' (National Council of YMCAs, 1995). She was involved with the scheme, along with her husband, as Warden and Matron at North Cadbury Court in 1957.
'British Boys For British Farms' (BBFBF, or BBBF) was a farm training scheme run by the YMCA between 1932 and 1968. During the 1920s the YMCA, and other organisations, were involved with emigration schemes. The YMCA scheme was halted abruptly in 1932 due to the world-wide depression and boys waiting in hostels were offered jobs on British farms instead. This scheme became successful and The Ministry of Labour partly funded it provided 90% of the boys were from the designated deprived areas of Britain. The scheme became recognised by the National Farmers Union and other agricultural bodies, and part funded by the Ministry of Agriculture. The scheme became a forerunner to Farm Institutes and Agricultural Colleges.
Each boy spent eight weeks in one of the training centres and then was placed on a farm and visited regularly by an Aftercare Officer. The boys spent their days on local farms and taught basic skills. At first, boys were 14 years old and no boys over 17 were accepted. Later in the scheme an element of theoretical instruction was added, usually in conjunction with the nearest farm institute or college.
Following the closure of Beverley Hostel in 1934, the boys moved to Ivy House, Boston Spa in Yorkshire. In 1939 this was closed when Park Hill, near Derby, was purchased by the YMCA. This hostel could take up to 50 boys and it was the last hostel to close, in 1968, by which time government funding had been withdrawn and the demand for boys had greatly declined. Ham Green, in Bristol, functioned until 1949 before relocation to North Cadbury Court, near Yeovil, until 1963. Flint Hall, near Henley on Thames, functioned between 1938 and 1944. During the Second World War additional hostels were opened at Clifford Chambers, near Stratford-upon-Avon, moving to Hinstock, near Market Drayton, after the war and closing in 1948; Mammerton Farms, near Park Hill, was also used during the war. In 1948 Wilderwick House, near East Grinstead, became available and was a popular hostel taking mostly London boys. This closed in 1963. Mappleton Camp, on the north-east coast in Yorkshire, was used from 1948 until circa 1953.
Altogether, over 20,000 boys were trained through this scheme, mostly aged between 14 and 16. A significant number remained in agriculture for their contracted training period and many continued working on farms as tenants, owners or managers.
Source: Papers of Barbara Vessey
Open, access to all registered researchers.
Presented by Barbara Vessey in 2002 with an additional deposit in 2009
Please see full catalogue for more information.
Papers arranged and described by Mark Eccleston, February 2019, in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description (ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; and in-house cataloguing guidelines.
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