Catalogue description Blackburn Personal Service Society

Minutes and accounts

Blackburn Personal Services Society, 1945 - 1982, Lancashire

Charity Organisation society and Personal Service League, 1894/5 - 1945, Blackburn, Lancashire

Donated by William Heppard & Sons, chartered accountants of Blackburn, 20 and 25 January 1989 (acc. 6406)

• Blackburn, Lancashire

The Charity was established in 1894/5 and known, until 1945, as the Charity Organization Society and Personal Service League. Its aim was to assist the distressed poor and needy and to discourage begging in Blackburn. Members visited the elderly and chronic sick and supplied food parcels, clothing or coal where needed, and a team of collectors helped the poor to save by investing their regular contributions in the COS Collecting Savings Bank account.

In 1914/15 the Blackburn and District Convalescent Home was built at St. Annes on Sea, entirely from funds raised by the Society. Although it was primarily intended for people from Blackburn, convalescent and chronically sick patients were accepted from all over the country until the home was closed on 27 Sep. 1976. The Society itself was formally dissolved on 23 Oct. 1982 and its funds were divided between various Blackburn charities.

Unfortunately the early records of this charity appear not to have survived.

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