International Women's Day
08 March 2018
On international women’s day, we’re taking a moment to appreciate the historical women that made Dudley Lodge the place it is today. Dudley Lodge has been around since 1895 and whilst it has developed and changed over the years it wouldn’t be what it is without the strong women who not only founded the charity but carried it through the hard times like the years of the war.
‘Alice Bourne’
Our first significant historical figure is that of Miss Alice Bourne, a Coventry lady, she had a desire to help girls who had been driven to a life of prostitution and sought to help them get out of their situation by opening up her home to offer them a better life. Alice Bourne is seen as Dudley Lodge’s founder and is recognised for her inspiration to begin what has developed into our organisation and charity today.
Because of Alice Bourne, her house for girls grew and grew and eventually a committee was formed of ladies from local parishes who in concern for young vulnerable girls would take the responsibility of recognising cases of individuals and passing them on for investigation and attention in an attempt to help them. Minutes from a meeting in 1898 have been kept safe in historical records and detail discussions about Dudley Lodge – or what was known then as Care of Friendless Girls, detailing how the house should be a receiving home for girls to remain for a short period of time. In 1900 a committee joined together – similarly to our trustees today to oversee the running of the house.
The work of Alice Bourne was the foundations for what Dudley Lodge is today.
‘The Miss Paton Years’
In 1933 Miss Paton was the first trained worker to be appointed as assistant superintendent. She took over form a poor previous superintendent who imposed a severe regime on the girls residing at the house. Miss Paton changed the running of the home and the residents there became more like a family thanks to her kinder rules and friendlier approach to helping the girls change their way of living. She also oversaw the running of the house over the war, dealing with bombings, no water or heating.
Miss Paton saw the move of many girls to many different houses through the war, until finally settling in Dudley Lodge’s current facility in Coventry – 143 Warwick Road in 1946. In November 1960 Miss Paton was awarded an MBE from the queen Miss Paton retired in 1971 but her efforts and changes to Dudley Lodge were something to making it what it is today.
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