The Hollies Children's Homes Sidcup Kent

The Hollies and Lamorbey Children’s Home Sidcup Kent.

The Hollies Children’s Homes Home Page.

The Hollies and Lamorbey Children’s Homes Reunion Group founded by Paul and Barbara Krawczynski with the intention of bringing together former children and staff that spent time in The Hollies or Lamorbey children’s home. is also includes those that spent any time in The Hostel or at 70 80 Halfway street houses.

Over the past years since leaving the Hollies and Lamorbey children’s home Sidcup Kent I often wondered what my friends were doing with there lives now and how they faired? finding nothing on the internet about The Hollies or Lamorbey children’s homes I set out to find others and have a place for others to find there friends also.

We feel that from e-mails sent to us, that people of these children’s homes have they enjoyed seeing The Hollies and Lamorbey web sites and enjoyed the membership of The Hollies Children’s Homes Reunion Group!

Over the years children’s homes have changed immensely, Back in the 1800s wealthy kind-hearted people set up small homes to house the waifs and strays plus orphaned children giving the shelter within their homes and preparing them for life outside of the children’s home young girls were mostly sent into service as a way of making a living while boys tended to learn trades such was the start of homes provided by trade groups.

By the early 1900s larger homes were developed to house more children with children’s homes built by Poor Societies around the country, Societies like the Poor Law Union of Deptford and Greenwich who took orphaned children from the Greenwich hospital and poor house and placed them into the purpose built home in Sidcup Kent them called the Lamorbey children’s home but better known as The Hollies Children’s Home Sidcup Kent, these homes had houses that would hold between 20 and 30 children each giving children by far a better life than they could have expected outside of the care system as here they would be educated clean clothes better food and health care something they would not have had in the outside world.

Most of these home were later taken over by the Local Borough Councils.

In the middle to late 1960s new buildings were added to the Hollies home in the shape of The working hostel and the Halfway Street buildings known as 69/70 and 77 and 80 Halfway Street, known to some as The Sinclair’s after the House master who tried to stop the children from mixing with the Hollies kids, I am informed that this change after the Sinclairs left, some former residents after leaving the Hollies and Halfway Street went on to 31 Station road Sidcup used as a learning base to move on and integrate with life outside of care.

In the late 1980s onwards there was a movement away from the large complex of housing children and more a move to houses run as single build homes and hostels.

With the growth via The Hollies and Lamorbey Children’s Home Sidcup Kent website the last few reunions got together around 150 people each year with many new faces attending, former children of the children’s homes are from all generations with the eldest 93. the group website has brought former residents and staff from as far away as Australia and the US. we have been able to help other looking for information on the family members that past through the home, we have not only reunited old friends from the home but friends from the local area of Sidcup and South London. so why not join in with us now this can and will help you and others to follow.

We at the Hollies and Lamorbey group are aware that life within the homes and the care system was seen in a variety of different way good bad and indifferent. We are not here to pass judgement but to just be here for those that want to join us. for views on life within the home try this link below.

http://hollies-lamorbey-memories.org.uk/html/memories.html

Please look around our site enjoy the pictures we bring you, visit the links to other sites that hold a connection with any Children’s Homes website.

At The Hollies and Lamorbey Children’s Home Reunion Group we are more than just a group, we are a exclusive club with a unique membership for former residents and staff of the children’s home why not come and join in our unique group and become a supporting member?

Please help us to help you and others alike

Here because we care!

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