St George's Home For Boys, Warrington

St George's was established as a cottage home for only seven boys (aged 6-10). The opening ceremony was held on 17 June 1896, with a dedication service conducted by the Revd Thurston. Despite the Home's modest size, the event was a grand affair with many of the Society's most important supporters in attendance.

St George's Home received a warm reception from the people of Warrington. The boys of the Home attended the local Sunday school, where they 'found many good friends and playmates'. Local people gave generously at fundraising events, and the Society's newsletter Our Waifs and Strays reported that 'even in the poorest quarters of Warrington, people respond most liberally to the Society's appeal for help.'

The Society decided that there was sufficient scope for expansion in Warrington, and the boys and staff of St George's moved to a larger house in 1909. The Home could now accommodate 15 boys. To mark the new beginning, a dedication service was held at the Home on 4 March. This was conducted by the Revd Collier, who worked as a Secretary for the Liverpool branch of the Waifs and Strays' Society.

St George's was blessed with a long-serving Matron, Miss Barrett, who worked at the Home from its very beginning to its closure in 1924. A special ceremony was held in honour of her life's work in 1911, and all the 'old boys' were invited back to the Home. According to the Society's newsletter, all these young men 'have a very real affection for her, and have done credit to her training and good example.'

The lease expired in 1924, and the boys were moved to a new home in the nearby town of Orford.