SEDGLEY HOME

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 October 1939, Page 8

SEDGLEY HOME

NEW BLULDING NEARING COMPLETION FINE ADDITION TO FACILITIES. ACCOMMODATION ALMOST DOUBLED. Finished in attractive tones of buff, the new building approaching completion as an addition to the Sedgley Boys’ Home, High • Street, Masterton, embraces the most modern facilities for the well-being of the younger folk placed under the care of the home authorities. The new building, which ’is a substantial one-storey structure of reinforced concrete, has a length of about 130 feet, witti a wing 39ft Avide and 69ft in depth and an accessory wing, at the other end of the main portion of the building, 21ft wide and 47ft in length. A corridor 75ft in length runs along the length of the main building, giving ready access from the kitchen, dining and recreation rooms to the dormitories on the wing. Provision is made so that •an additional wing may be added at some future date. The new building almost doubles the accommodation of the home, which will be able to cater for the wants of 32 boys. The wing at the western end of the building includes three eight-bed dormitories and two four-bed dormitories, features of which are the pivot windows (the architect’s own patent) and the seven-foot inside walls with open tops, so as to allow free ventilation. A sick room, two staff rooms, staff bathroom and conveniences are also included in this wing. For the use of the boys a large bathroom will be fitted with four sunken tiled baths, with tile surrounds, hot and cold water and showers giving water from cold to hot, whatever, degree is required. Wash basins and towel racks will complete the fittings. The commodious recreation and dining rooms are divided by folding doors, so that one large room is available for social gatherings. The kitchen is fitted with all the latest appliances, including a coke cooker, sufficient to cater for the needs of forty people and which, it is claimed, requires stoking only twice a day and is most economical in fuel consumption. There are two-way cupboards, a meat safe and larder, while in another wing is a store room, separator room, laundry with gas copper, furnace room for the hot water system and a drying room, in which is installed a dryer worked off the hot water system.

The old building is being renovated to provide for a boot room and a changing room so that the boys can change their clothes on returning to the home from school. A staff sitting room will also be provided, while the rest of the building will be devoted to administration purposes. The home, following on the completion of the new building, will have accommodation for 32 boys. Sedgley is run in conjunction with the Anglican Boys’ Home, Lower v Hutt, from which institution the senior boys, at the age of 13 years, are ■ transferred to Sedgley for a period of three years. While at Sedgley the boys receive training in"‘farm work. The home has its own small herd of cows, which are milked by the boys, who also grow the vegetables used by the home. All boys who leave Sedgley are thus able to milk and cultivate a kitchen garden. Incidentally, they are also handy about the house and on Saturday mornings may be seen cleaning windows, polishing floors and carrying out other household duties. Ever since it has been established ■Sedgley has been most generously ■supplied by residents of Masterton and district. A notable contribution was made recently when an anonymous donor gave £450 towards the furnishing of the new building. It is estimated. incidentally, that the furnishings will cost about £l5OO. The contract price for the building is £6500. The contractors are Messrs Jenkins Bros..'of Masterton.