1919: Edinburgh Settlement; Future of The Settlement Statement

Owing to the War and the need of avoiding unnecessary expense, no report of the Settlement work was issued in 1918, and it is now necessary to report on two years. The Report for 1917-18, which describes the details of the work, is, given in full, but that for last year, in which the same activities were continued, has been cut down in order to avoid repetition and to economise in printing.

Miss Donnnett Paynter with ambulance WW1
Miss Donnnett Paynter with ambulance WW1

In both years it is to be noted that the work of the Settlement has been the women’s work, as the men were only gradually demobilised, and were engaged after demobilisation in making up for the time they had lost while on service.

Now that the costliest War and its distractions are at any rate partially ended, it has become necessary for the Council of the Association to consider what steps should be taken to revive and re-organise the work of the Settlement on the pre-War scale. During the last two years, however, a wholly new situation has been created by the institution in Edinburgh of a School of Social Study and Training under the auspices of the University.
Such a school has long been needed, and it has always been felt that when it was started the Settlement should be closely associated with it as providing a practical addition to the theoretical teaching of the Classroom. Accordingly, during the summer, negotiations were opened with the Council of the School, and it was ascertained that they were desirous of starting a Settlement of their own.
It was obviously impossible to have two rival Settlements, both of them associated with the University. It was possible to retain the Settlement under the old management, and to associate it with the work of the School, but it was felt that this would not secure such ideal co-operation as the union of the two organisations under one control.

After full consideration the Council of the University Settlement have come to the conclusion that the best solution of the problem is to hand over the Settlement building, with its good will and assets, to the School of Social Study and Training.

It is understood that the Settlement as a University Settlement will be kept up, either in the present or in some other building, as a Settlement more especially for women workers, and that the Wardenship is to be entrusted to Miss Drysdale, who has been so long and so intimately associated with the work of the University Settlement, and who has enlarged her knowledge and experience by a course of training in the School of Social Study, and by visits to other Settlements. Under her guidance there will be no break with past traditions, and the continued success of the Settlement is assured.
In order to carry out this provisional agreement, it is proposed that at the Annual Meeting the Association should approve of the transfer of the Settlement building and other assets to the School of Social Study and Training, and should authorise the officials to take the necessary steps for completing the transfer and the winding-up of the Association.


Images of Original

 

Future of the settlement
Future of the settlement

 

This is part of the Edinburgh Settlements digital archive collaboration with Ragged University:

Edinburgh Settlements Digital Archive