All Saints' Home For Girls, Clent

All Saints' Home was built to replace the Belbroughton Home, which was in need of maintenance. Although money was raised to repair the old Home, it was decided that it would be more wisely spent on a new building. A site was acquired at Holy Cross, and an architect (Mr T Grazebrook) was employed. The building was completed in the spring of 1910 and on 4 May, All Saints' Home was formally opened. To mark the occasion, the Bishop of Worcester (Dr. Yeatman Biggs) conducted a dedication ceremony. He was accompanied by the choir of Clent Parish Church, who sang sections of the service.

The new house was considerably larger than the old Belbroughton Home, and could accommodate up to 20 girls (aged 3-15). After only one year, we believe that the Home dropped its 'dedication name' in favour of the building's name, Holy Cross. The Home's Honorary Secretary in these early years was Viscountess Cobham, who lived in nearby Stourbridge.

Holy Cross Home organised many special fundraising days, which were always popular with local people. In 1920 a Sale of Work Day was held in the St Thomas' Church Hall. The girls from the Home walked to the Hall, where they looked after their own threepenny dip stall. There were several other stalls as well, selling a variety of goods including toys, chinaware and vegetables. As this event was held in December, a large Christmas tree stood in the hall with presents for the girls hanging from its branches. Once the day was over and the stalls had been packed away, the girls all 'went home in a motor'.

The Home carried on its work for many years, finally closing in the early 1980s. In these later years the Home began housing both boys and girls, and from 1974 it was known as Holy Cross Lodge Family Home.