TOYNBEE HALL

Southland Times, Issue 22766, 17 December 1935, Page 7

TOYNBEE HALL

CELEBRATION OF GOLDEN JUBILEE. FAMOUS SOCIAL SETTLEMENT. (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) Rugby, December 14. The golden jubilee of Toynbee Hall in Whitechapel, one of the best known social settlements in the world, was celebrated by a distinguished gathering last night presided ovex- by the Archbishop of Canterbuiy (Dr Cosmo Lang), who is one of the founders of the hall. A letter from the Prime Minister (Mr Stanley Baldwin), as chairman of tlxe Pilgrim Trxxstees, announced the gift of £lO,OOO towards the funds needed for enlargement of the premises and improvement of the equipment. Inspired by the work of and named after Arnold Toynbee, a British economist and reformer, Toynbee Hall was opened in December 1885, the first institution of its kind in the world. It came into existence at a moment when public interest had been deeply stirred by the writings of Sir Walter Besant, G. R. Sims, Andrew Meams and others, on the London poor, and quickly became a place where university men could go into residence for the purpose of taking part in social work, and a centre of popular education and recreation.