The, Working Lads' Institute & Home 279, Whitechapel Road, London, E. 1. FOUNDED 1876.

Ex-Officio President THE RIGHT HON. THE LORD MAYOR. Trustees THE BOURNE TRUST CORPORATION, LTD. Committee Revs. J. WALTON, G. AYRE, C. E. WILES, J. T. BARKBY, J. K. ELLWOOD, T. JACKSON, JAS. E. THORP, MESSRS. S. A. BUTT, ALFRED MAYNARD, T. PROUD, and F. A. B. GILTROW. Solicitors MESSRS. E. C. RAWLINGS, BUTT, & BOWYER, 2, Walbrook, E.C. 4. Auditors A. E. TURBERVILLE & Co., Chartered Accountants, 2, Essex Street, Strand, London, W.C. 2. Bankers BARCLAYS BANK, MILE END BRANCH, 234-236, Whitechapel Road, E. 1. Hon. Treasurer T. PROUD, ESQ., "Parkfield," Grove Park, Lee, London, S.E. Hon. Superintendent and Secretary, REV. THOMAS JACKSON, 279, Whitechapel Road, London, E. 1. Hon. Assistant and Probation Officer REV. JAS. E. THORP, 279, Whitechapel Road, London., E. 1. Court and Prison Gate Missionary MR. H. E. KINCHIN, 53, Carey Street, Leytonstone, E. 11.

ANNUAL REPORT, 1928-29 Welfare Work for East End Boys.

Working Lads' Institute Annual Meeting. The Committee of this Institute and Home, in the unavoidable absence of our Ex-Officio President-, the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, esteem it a great pleasure to have as the chairman to-day, our generous friend, Mr. J. D. Kiley, J.P. For many years past he has cheered us by his presence at our annual gathering and aided us by his gifts. After 52 years of service to the youth of Whitechapel and the East End we are grateful that the Institute and Home's activities are to-day so vigorous, useful, and appreciated. The creed or no creed, the poverty, or the nationality of a lad is no barrier to his sharing in the provision made by us for healthy recreation and clean amusements.
Gymnasium, Drill, Billiards and other Games, Entertainments, Summer Camp and other pro vision enable the lads, both juniors and seniors, to spend happy and profitable evenings in the Institute, who otherwise might be exposed to the baneful influence of street rowdyism and other temptations. Associated with the Institute is the Brunswick Hall Boys Brigade, which is becoming increasingly popular and gives promise of beneficial service to the lads of the district.
The Institute Home. For the past thirty-two years the doors of the Institute have been opened to orphan and destitute lads and first offenders. Food, clothing, lodgings, and friendliness have been provided for upwards of 3,200 necessitous lads between the ages of fourteen and eighteen years. The timely aid this Home rendered them became the stepping stone to self-reliance, useful employment, and respectable citizenship. From all parts of the world, as well as this country, evidence has reached us of our old boys having attained to positions of honour and great usefulness.	Dormitory
Owing to age disqualification the Rev. Thomas Jackson and Mr. H. E. Kinchin have ceased to be recognised by the Home Office as Probation Officers, but the Home Secretary has appointed the Rev. J. E. Thorp to take their place. The services of Mr. Kinchin are still devoted to attendance at juvenile and other Courts, and dealing with first offenders referred to us by the justices. Special attention has been given to Borstal cases and discharged prisoners, and with cheering results. The Report presented to the Committee, at its Meeting on April 18th, by Mr. Kinchin, is a most encouraging one and reads as follows : "We have admitted into the Home for the year, 92 cases of these, 37 had lost both parents, 25 lost father, and 13 lost
Camp Drill
mother. In addition to these we have dealt with 23 Borstal cases, providing temporary homes and assisting them to find employment. We have also assisted 26 other cases, ex-convicts, and men from Prisons found in our Night Shelter with employment, providing Pedlar Licenses, or Stock, and in almost every case the men have done well. Those received into the Home came from all parts of London, and from the following Provincial Towns, and the Colonies, and abroad: Aberavon, Antwerp, Athlone, Bath, Birmingham, Brighton, Canada, Cardiff, Carlisle, Cheltenham, Chelmsford, Durham, Folkestone, Germany, Glasgow, Goole, Halstead, Hertford, Hull, Leicester, Liverpool, Luton, Newcastle, Norwich, Queensland, Sheerness, South Africa, Weymouth, West Bromwich, Essex and Shropshire. For these, employment was found as follows : on farms in Devon, 24; on farms in Essex, 3 ; on farms in Shropshire, 2 ; in restaurants, 25 ; shops and factories, 17 ; 15 have enlisted in the army, and 7 have chosen a sea-faring life.

Photo upon admission.

During the year six visits have been paid to our lads in Devon, where we have now 42, all of whom are doing well. The majority of these lads are very highly spoken of by their employers, and have been helpful to us in finding new openings. The after care we have exercised over these lads has greatly cheered and encouraged them, and in a few cases we have found it advisable to exchange their places, and the same has proved successful. We have also visited some 120 homes and places of employment in London. We also visit both the Adult and juvenile Police Courts as occasions demand, and have on several occasions been thanked by the magistrates for the help we have rendered them.

We have also paid 15 visits to prisons and interviewed young men and discussed their future, and 4 have been ready and willing to place them in work and lodgings upon their release. One case was from a P. M. home, was visited in Bedford Prison, found work in a London Saw Mills, placed in a good home, and now he has joined the I.O.G.T. and doing extremely well and giving entire satisfaction. Another is an ex-convict, from Dartmoor, whom we are in daily contact with, and doing our best to raise him to higher things. We have been encouraged from time to time by visits from our old boys, all of whom are doing well." We have extended the the activities of the Institute during year by forming a Boys' Hostel and Bureau of Advice for Girls. Industrial conditions, the Transfer scheme of the Ministry of Labour, mean that youths and girls are coming to this City in large numbers, and some in answer to advertisements which are mere decoys. Some also to lodgings of an unsuitable character. We have appointed the Rev. G.C. Normandale, who has a wide experience of London conditions, as Secretary and Visitor. During the first three months of this year he has dealt with 33 cases, some of them involving journeys of considerable distances. Young people from the North, Midlands, and Eastern Counties have been met at the railway stations and conducted to their lodgings, after enquiries have proved satisfactory.	A sample of transformation.
Closely related to the Institute's work are the Holiday Homes at Southend-on-Sea. During the year 851 adults have been entertained, and of these 217 visitors were admitted free or at reduced charges, 40 Stepney poor, but worthy, women were given a week's free holiday at the Home, to their great delight and benefit.
Holiday Home, Marine Parade, South end-on-Sea.
Under the care of the Institute Committee is also the Free Night Shelter at Brunswick Hall, which for the past 21 years has rendered most humane service to down-and-outs. This season the Shelter has been exceptional in the numbers seeking its ministrations, and in their character. The proportion of younger men, obviously of the artizan class, has been distressingly large. On frequent nights, after admitting many beyond our usual number, we have had to turn dozens away. We lay ourselves out to minister to six or seven thousand men, but this season the total has been 9,212, free meals, 18,424. Apart from the Shelter, supper and breakfast have been given to each man, and, in addition, clothing and boots have been distributed. What this has meant in relieving the burden of those distressed men it is difficult to estimate. Work of a temporary character has been secured for 48 men, and in a few cases we have opened the way to permanent situations.
Holiday Home No. 2, Pleasant Road, Southend-on-Sea.
The ministry of shelter and food is no small thing for these distressed and destitute men, but we try and go a bit further by personal interest and brotherly counsel. The nightly talk has for its object the giving of courage and renewed hope to broken lives. The night shelter serves another useful purpose: men come to us, others are sent, Police Courts and Charity Organisation Societies seek our help. We are able to take men under our observation until enquiries are made and interested people can verify particulars, and in this way many men get a 11 consideration " which otherwise would not be possible. We present these particulars of another year's activities of the Institute and Home Committee, and are of opinion that they will commend our work to the sympathy, and, we trust, generous support of friends, irrespective of creed or nationality. It has been my privilege and pleasure, for the past 32 years, to submit an Annual Report to the supporters of the Institute, and 1 personally thank all friends present and absent for their kindly interest and support.
On behalf of the Committee, Secretary and Superintendent.