Royal Philanthropic Society
Encyclopedia
The Royal Philanthropic Society had its origins in the St Paul's Coffee House in London
in 1788 where a group of men met to discuss the problems of homeless children who were to be found begging and stealing on the streets. The Society began by opening homes where children were trained in cottage industries working under the instruction of skilled tradesmen. In 1806 the Society was incorporated by Act of Parliament, sanctioning its work with juvenile delinquents.
Archives show that by 1848 1,500 children had been helped and only 1 in 20 committed further offences. In 1849 the Society founded the Farm School for Boys at Redhill
in Surrey modelled on the Mettray Penal Colony
in France. The Reformatory School Act of Parliament (1854), championed by a movement supported by Charles Dickens
, allowed the courts to send delinquents to the Society's reformatories instead of sending them to prison.
Concerned about the lack of hope for those who came before the courts the printer Frederic Rainer, a volunteer with the Church of England Temperance Society
(CETS), wrote to them in 1876 with a five shilling donation towards a fund for rescue work in the police courts. In response the CETS appointed a missionary to Southwark court, who became the basis for the London Police Court Mission (LPCM).
Between 1880 and 1902 eight full-time LPCM missionaries were appointed and the Mission opened homes and shelters to provide vocational training. In 1907 the LPCM missionaries were appointed officers of the court who were later to be known as probation officer
s.
The Children and Young Person's Act (1933) introduced juvenile courts for children of 17 and younger and the Philanthropic Society's Redhill Farm School was given approved school
status. In 1938 the Home Office assumed control of the probation service and the LPCM began to concentrate on hostels for probation trainees and to set up homes for children at risk, sexually abused children and for young mothers.
In 1952 the Philanthropic Society was granted royal status.
In 1964 the Philanthropic Society registered with the Charities Commission as Rainer
, in recognition of Frederic Rainer's donation.http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/showcharity.asp?chyno=229132
In 2008 Rainer merged with Crime Concern, another long established charity working with young people in the criminal justice system to become Catch22
(www.catch-22.org.uk). Catch22 is a national charity that works with young people who find themselves in difficult situations; helping them to stay healthy, find opportunities to learn, earn a living, find a safe place to live and to give something back to their community.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1788 where a group of men met to discuss the problems of homeless children who were to be found begging and stealing on the streets. The Society began by opening homes where children were trained in cottage industries working under the instruction of skilled tradesmen. In 1806 the Society was incorporated by Act of Parliament, sanctioning its work with juvenile delinquents.
Archives show that by 1848 1,500 children had been helped and only 1 in 20 committed further offences. In 1849 the Society founded the Farm School for Boys at Redhill
Redhill, Surrey
Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. Redhill and the adjacent town of Reigate form a single urban area.-History:...
in Surrey modelled on the Mettray Penal Colony
Mettray Penal Colony
Mettray Penal Colony, situated in the small village of Mettray, in the French département of Indre-et-Loire, just north of the city of Tours, was a private reformatory, without walls, opened in 1840 for the rehabilitation of young male delinquents aged between 6 and 21. At that time children and...
in France. The Reformatory School Act of Parliament (1854), championed by a movement supported by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, allowed the courts to send delinquents to the Society's reformatories instead of sending them to prison.
Concerned about the lack of hope for those who came before the courts the printer Frederic Rainer, a volunteer with the Church of England Temperance Society
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
(CETS), wrote to them in 1876 with a five shilling donation towards a fund for rescue work in the police courts. In response the CETS appointed a missionary to Southwark court, who became the basis for the London Police Court Mission (LPCM).
Between 1880 and 1902 eight full-time LPCM missionaries were appointed and the Mission opened homes and shelters to provide vocational training. In 1907 the LPCM missionaries were appointed officers of the court who were later to be known as probation officer
Probation officer
Parole officers and probation officers play a role in criminal justice systems by supervising offenders released from incarceration or sentenced to non-custodial sanctions such as community service...
s.
The Children and Young Person's Act (1933) introduced juvenile courts for children of 17 and younger and the Philanthropic Society's Redhill Farm School was given approved school
Approved School
Approved School is a term formerly used in the United Kingdom to mean a particular kind of residential institution to which young people could be sent by a court, usually for committing offences but sometimes because they were deemed to be beyond parental control...
status. In 1938 the Home Office assumed control of the probation service and the LPCM began to concentrate on hostels for probation trainees and to set up homes for children at risk, sexually abused children and for young mothers.
In 1952 the Philanthropic Society was granted royal status.
In 1964 the Philanthropic Society registered with the Charities Commission as Rainer
Rainer Foundation
The Rainer Foundation, currently named Catch22, was a charitable organization originally formed as the London Police Court Mission as a result of a 5 shilling gift made by Fredrick Rainer in 1876 to Church of England Temperance Society part of the Temperance movement...
, in recognition of Frederic Rainer's donation.http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/showcharity.asp?chyno=229132
In 2008 Rainer merged with Crime Concern, another long established charity working with young people in the criminal justice system to become Catch22
Catch22 (charity)
Catch22 is a registered charity in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2008, it has over 1000 employees.-Scope:Catch22 work with young people and their families within England and Wales. They provide advice, mentoring, mediation, accommodation, education and employment opportunities to young people...
(www.catch-22.org.uk). Catch22 is a national charity that works with young people who find themselves in difficult situations; helping them to stay healthy, find opportunities to learn, earn a living, find a safe place to live and to give something back to their community.