John Reynolds Home
37-38 East Beach, Lytham
In 1917 the Preston Particular Council of the Society of St Vincent de Paul received a sum of money (£4000) from the estate of Mr John Reynolds. It was decided to use this money to helping "poor children from Preston" and with this purpose in mind two adjacent semi detached houses, 37 and 38 East Beach, Lytham were rented.
The Home was originally run by Sisters of the Cross of Passion, however, Canon Sharrock of the Salford Rescue Society arranged for the management to be passed to the Franciscan Missionaries of St Joseph in November 1919. When the Salford Rescue Society opened a Home in Didsbury in 1926 they no longer wished to continue their involvement with the Lytham Home.
The Preston Particular Council of the Society of St Vincent de Paul having purchased the two properties in 1925 experienced financial problems. In 1929 they had £8 0s 0d cash in hand and the two properties. Although they had received the £4000 legacy from John Reynolds they had spent £7000 on the work during the 12 years since it had opened. The work continued but finance remained a source of concern until the outbreak of war in 1939 when evacuated children were sent to the Home, many remaining there until the war was over.
In 1945The house next door, 39 East Beach, was given to the Home by Miss T Crook, in exchange for a small annuity. A corridor was built to link it to number 38, but although it was supposed to cater for children, in an effort to keep the home solvent, for a short period the Sisters were allowed to house old ladies in 39 East Beach.
Social conditions in post war years changed and there was not the same need for a holiday home for poor or convalescent children.
The deeds for the John Reynolds Home were officially handed over to Bishop Pearson and Father O'Neill, administrator for the Lancaster Diocesan Protection and Rescue Society by Mr W. McEnerney of the Preston Particular Council of St Vincent de Paul on 15 August 1954.
It became a policy of the Lancaster Diocesan Protection and Rescue Society to try to keep families together whenever possible. With this in mind brothers and sisters who had been living in larger one-sex Homes in the Diocese were transferred to Lytham.
In 1959 there were 32 children living at the home aged between five and fifteen. They were divided into three groups under the guidance of Mother Osmund who had studied the Home Office Child Care Course.
By the 1970s the Home had closed.
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