Dilapidated building historically important

On Behalf of the Sheffield Children’s Centre Advisory and Support Committee

The building Vin Malone refers to in his letter of March 29, is a building of historical significance and is known as the Caretaker’s House.

It is part of the Sheffield Children’s Centre’s land footprint.

It should be noted too, that Sheffield Children’s Centre have, for many years, been asking Sheffield City Council for access to this building to do it up and to bring it back into purposeful use for vital child and family support work.

There is also a local working/task and finish group, (of which Sheffield Children’s Centre is a member), which is hosted by and facilitated by St Mary’s Church and Community Centre on Bramall Lane, which has also been asking the same thing of the council.

The Sheffield Children’s Centre was designated funding by both the DfES and grant funders to upgrade the building, several years ago but were prohibited from doing so by Sheffield City Council.

The Caretaker’s House was aligned to the old Duchess Road County School.

Sheffield has one of the best surviving collections of early board schools in England outside London.

After the 1870 Education Act, Sheffield’s newly elected School Board vigorously set about constructing new schools, completing 39 before its demise in 1903.

The Sheffield Children’s Centre site was built in 1883 and was paid for by rate-payers. This visionary approach took place at a time when other cities in the UK were reluctant to give their children the same due regard and vital investments. The Board Schools were and remain a matter of pride.

In recent weeks, Sheffield Children’s Centre has again attained an Ofsted Outstanding rating in every area.