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Death of Founder Member

Published 16th December 2010

One of the founding Members of Wirral Methodist Housing Association, Len Matthews passed away on Thursday 9 December aged 90 years.

Len was one of a group of eight people at a Methodist Church meeting in 1964 who on hearing the plight of a family trying to hold itself together in the face of appalling housing conditions resolved to take positive, Christian caring action to meet the challenge and so the Birkenhead Methodist Housing Aid Society (as it was then called) was born.

The farsightedness of the founders was three years before the ground breaking TV programme, “Cathy Come Home” which brought about a wider development of the social housing movement.

Since that time, while staying close to its roots and focused upon meeting housing need of individuals, young, old families and the disabled, Wirral Methodist Housing Association (as it became retitled in 1975) now has over 700 homes, administered by a professional staff team under a predominantly Methodist Board of Management.

One original founder Member remains, Beatrice Constance (Connie) Harvey age 99 who is no longer involved on a regular basis but likes to keep in touch with the Association`s progress.

The Association`s founder Members were :

Oswald Roberts
Will & Dorothy Frost
Will McIntyre
George Jones
Norman Mumby
Len Matthews
Constance Harvey

For more information contact Alun Hughes-0151 647 5471