Fegans Childrens Charity

The Fegans Children’s Charity collection comprises twenty-four films dating from the mid-1930s to the early 1970s, which were largely made for publicity purposes - promoting the work of Fegans which was to provide a safe upbringing for orphaned and abandoned girls and boys. Founded by James Fegan, a Christian philanthropist, in 1872, the organisation created several homes and schools throughout southern England during the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, Fegans continues its charitable work by providing care and support for children and families. Many of the films in the collection feature daily life at Fegans’ schools with class-room scenes, celebrations of birthdays and Christmas festivities, day-trips to a variety of venues, sporting events and seaside holidays. A number of the films show life at Fegans’ Goudhurst Farm School in Kent, where boys were taught agricultural skills in preparation for their adult working lives, which in many cases was overseas, particularly Canada.