Records relating to the Women's Voluntary Services/Women's Royal Voluntary Service, Neath

Log books (describing activities of Women's Voluntary Services/Women's Royal Voluntary Service, Neath)

Founded in 1938 as the Women's Voluntary Services for Air Raid Precautions the organisation involved itself in the assistance of civilians through emergency rest centres, feeding, first aid and the billeting and evacuation of children. The WVS had more than one million volunteers by 1943 and its role had evolved to encompass many aspects of wartime life including the distribution of clothing, greeting and provisioning of returning servicemen and operating incident inquiry points concerning potential victims in bombed areas. In the postwar period the WVS (which became the Women's Royal Voluntary Service in 1966) has played a major role in social care, particularly to the elderly and housebound, with services such as Meals on Wheels. In 2013 the name Royal Voluntary Service was adopted to reflect the fact that men now make up a proportion of its volunteers. Researchers may wish to consult The Story of Neath W.V.S. 1939-1956 by M Isobel Lloyd (Neath, 1961).

No restrictions

A hard copy of the catalogue is available at the Neath Mechanics' Institute.

Usual copyright regulations apply.

Accruals are possible.