Co-operative Youth Centres

This collection consists of the records of the Co-operative Youth Centres. The records include the minutes of the Management Committee and Office Sub Committee, minutes of the shareholders' Annual General Meetings, share ledgers, correspondence with shareholders, shareholders' annual reports, yearly accounts and financial records, rule books, leases and agreements, staff wages books, insurance policies and papers regarding the society going into voluntary liquidation.

Co-operative Youth Centres Limited was formed by the special members Messrs F Abbott, L E Bottomley, L Hurst, Rev W H Oliver, Messrs A J Tapping, C R Westlake and Rev G S Woods in 1943. The object of the society was to carry on the business of residential youth centres, camps and schools to meet the educational and recreative needs of the members of co-operative societies. A conference to launch the scheme was held at Bradford on 11 Dec 1943 and a national appeal was issued to all societies and Education Committees on 13 Dec 1943. The first meeting of shareholders was held on 15 Jan 1944 and the rules were considered. The registration of the society took place on 19 May 1944. The first centre was at Tong Hall, near Huddersfield , and was purchased for £7500 in June 1944 from Huddersfield Industrial Society. It was officially opened 20 May 1944. Mr C W Harvey was the first Warden and Mr Britland the Gardener. In June 1944 Dalston Hall near Carlisle was also purchased for £11,000 and was officially opened 23 Sep 1944. The organisation aimed to have a youth centre for every section within the Co-operative Union and was always on the look out for potential properties.

In 1946 Collington Rise at Bexhill-on-Sea was purchased for £19,000. In 1947 the Friends of Co-operative Youth Centres was set up to raise extra funds. In Mar 1950 the organisation began seeking offers for the sale of Tong Hall and it was sold in 1952. In 1951 Losehill Hall in Derbyshire was purchased and was opened 14 Mar 1953. In 1960 Collington Rise was sold to the Workers Travel Association for £15,000.

Throughout the 1960s the CYC ceased to seek new premises. The early 1970s saw a increase in the centres' expenses and a buyer was sought for Losehill Hall. In 1971 it was sold to Peak Park Planning Board. In 1971 it was decided that the movement no longer had any need for Dalston Hall and a buyer was sought. In 1972 an offer of £43,000 from Messrs Beck & Leslie, Builders of Carlisle was accepted and Co-operative Youth Centres Limited went into voluntary liquidation.

The collection is arranged by function.

The collection is open to any accredited reader, subject to the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Some files in this collection are subject to Data Protection legislation as they contain sensitive information and material under 30 years old is closed to access. It is advised that you contact the Archivist before visiting.

No other finding aids exist.

Catalogue compiled by Adam Shaw, Assistant Archivist at the National Co-operative Archive, March 2010.

Some restrictions may apply. Please contact the Archivist for details.

Printed material transferred to the National Co-operative Archive pamphlet and journal collections and Co-operative Youth Collection. The collection also contained many duplicate items that were not retained.

Co-operative Youth Collection- held at the National Co-operative Archive