Dinas Orphanage Home For Girls, Brecon

Dinas Orphanage Home for Girls was one of the Society's smallest homes. It accommodated only 10 children but was well established and maintained by the local community even before the Society took it over in 1909. Mrs Maybery, the Honorary Secretary, commented that the home was 'beautifully situated' and that the 'children thrive well.'

The Home ran a strict routine whereby the eldest girl (usually aged 14) carried out most of the housework and laundry, while the other children and attended school. In dark winter evenings the girls would work two nights a week on their needlework, all helping to make what matron called their 'special objects.' Other events in the Home included the weekly evening service when the girls were taught how to sing in chorus and learnt passages from the Bible. Sunday evening was always set aside as 'story night.'

During one Sunday night near Christmas 1917, a new arrival to the Home caused a quite a commotion. Upon entering the Home, the new resident immediately flew upstairs and hid in the chimney place. Eventually they coaxed the trouble-maker out, only to find that it was not a child but the cat they had asked for to keep the mice down!

Dinas Orphanage Home for Girls was open for nine years, closing in 1918.