Collection GB 0074 LMA/4196 - MURIEL SMITH PAPERS

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 LMA/4196

Title

MURIEL SMITH PAPERS

Date(s)

  • 1945-1969 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

3.65 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Muriel Smith began her career as an Assistant Warden and Youth Leader of a purpose-built community centre outside Reading. In 1942 she trained in social work at Liverpool University and attended Reading University part time where she completed a degree in Philosophy and Psychology.

From 1949 to 1969 Muriel Smith worked with the London Voluntary Service Council (LCSS) as the head of the Community Development Department and was involved in the administering of grants from the LCC and GLC. She was also involved with the Central Housing Advisory Committee and a member of the Parker Morris Subcommittee which produced the report Homes for Today and Tomorrow. Her work brought her in touch with some of the major charitable trusts, in particular the City Parochial Foundation and the Gulbenkian Foundation in which Muriel was a member of many committees leading to various Gulbenkian publications.

In 1969 Muriel Smith was seconded to the Home Office as a consultant to the Community Development Project which was "...an attempt to research into the better understanding and comprehensive tackling of social needs, especially in local communities within older urban areas, through closer co-ordination of central and local official and unofficial effort, informed and stimulated by citizen initiative and involvement.", and later to the Voluntary Service Unit.

Muriel Smith was involved with the setting up of the Association of London Housing Estates and the Kenilworth Group.

Even after her retirement in 1979 Muriel Smith continued to be active in social work. She was responsible for three long-term Manpower Service projects, one sponsored by Toynbee Hall, were she helped with the preparations for their centenary year and gave a years voluntary service at their social centre working with mainly Bengali and Somali mothers and babies. The other two projects were sponsored by members of the Bengali local community who elected her as their organising secretary, as well as being a member of the Tower Hamlets Association for Racial Equality, and the subcommittee on education.

Archival history

GB 0074 LMA/4196 1945-1969 Collection 3.65 linear metres Smith , Muriel , fl 1942-1979 , social worker

Muriel Smith began her career as an Assistant Warden and Youth Leader of a purpose-built community centre outside Reading. In 1942 she trained in social work at Liverpool University and attended Reading University part time where she completed a degree in Philosophy and Psychology.

From 1949 to 1969 Muriel Smith worked with the London Voluntary Service Council (LCSS) as the head of the Community Development Department and was involved in the administering of grants from the LCC and GLC. She was also involved with the Central Housing Advisory Committee and a member of the Parker Morris Subcommittee which produced the report Homes for Today and Tomorrow. Her work brought her in touch with some of the major charitable trusts, in particular the City Parochial Foundation and the Gulbenkian Foundation in which Muriel was a member of many committees leading to various Gulbenkian publications.

In 1969 Muriel Smith was seconded to the Home Office as a consultant to the Community Development Project which was "...an attempt to research into the better understanding and comprehensive tackling of social needs, especially in local communities within older urban areas, through closer co-ordination of central and local official and unofficial effort, informed and stimulated by citizen initiative and involvement.", and later to the Voluntary Service Unit.

Muriel Smith was involved with the setting up of the Association of London Housing Estates and the Kenilworth Group.

Even after her retirement in 1979 Muriel Smith continued to be active in social work. She was responsible for three long-term Manpower Service projects, one sponsored by Toynbee Hall, were she helped with the preparations for their centenary year and gave a years voluntary service at their social centre working with mainly Bengali and Somali mothers and babies. The other two projects were sponsored by members of the Bengali local community who elected her as their organising secretary, as well as being a member of the Tower Hamlets Association for Racial Equality, and the subcommittee on education.

The working papers of Muriel Smith were deposited as a gift by her family in February 1998.

This collection consists of the working papers of Muriel Smith. They cover the period of the 1950's to the late 1970's when Muriel Smith was working at the London Voluntary Service Council and the Home Office before her retirement in 1979.

The papers include Registry Files consisting of a series of subject files relating to the early work of Muriel Smith from 1952 to 1967 and include files on the Central Housing Committee, the Kenilworth Study Group, Housing, Playgrounds and the Association of London Housing Estates; Community Development Project Files which cover the period 1959-1974 and are mainly concerned with Muriel Smith's work at the Home Office; Voluntary Service Unit papers; correspondence including letters to Ilys Booker (a friend and fellow community development worker); papers relating to The North Kensington Project, Association of London Housing Estates, Tower Hamlets, and the Danilo Dolci Fund; and material produced by Ilys Booker relating to projects that Muriel Smith was also involved in.

Registry Files LMA/4196/01;
Community Development Project Files LMA/4296/02-03;
Voluntary Service Unit LMA/4196/04;
Correspondence LMA/4196/05;
Projects LMA/4196/06-09;
Ilys Booker Papers LMA/4196/10 and
Miscellaneous files LMA/4196/11.

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information may be subject to access restrictions.

Copyright to this collection rests with the City of London.

English

Fit

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Further records relating to Muriel Smith and related organisations may be found among the records of the London Council for Social Services ACC/1888, and the National Council of Voluntary Organisations LMA/4016.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

August to October 2010. Smith , Muriel , fl 1942-1979 , social worker Community development Construction engineering Building design Building standards Accommodation Housing Housing needs Social work Social workers London Voluntary Service Council x London Council of Social Service Home Office London England UK Western Europe Europe

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The working papers of Muriel Smith were deposited as a gift by her family in February 1998.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

This collection consists of the working papers of Muriel Smith. They cover the period of the 1950's to the late 1970's when Muriel Smith was working at the London Voluntary Service Council and the Home Office before her retirement in 1979.

The papers include Registry Files consisting of a series of subject files relating to the early work of Muriel Smith from 1952 to 1967 and include files on the Central Housing Committee, the Kenilworth Study Group, Housing, Playgrounds and the Association of London Housing Estates; Community Development Project Files which cover the period 1959-1974 and are mainly concerned with Muriel Smith's work at the Home Office; Voluntary Service Unit papers; correspondence including letters to Ilys Booker (a friend and fellow community development worker); papers relating to The North Kensington Project, Association of London Housing Estates, Tower Hamlets, and the Danilo Dolci Fund; and material produced by Ilys Booker relating to projects that Muriel Smith was also involved in.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Registry Files LMA/4196/01;
Community Development Project Files LMA/4296/02-03;
Voluntary Service Unit LMA/4196/04;
Correspondence LMA/4196/05;
Projects LMA/4196/06-09;
Ilys Booker Papers LMA/4196/10 and
Miscellaneous files LMA/4196/11.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information may be subject to access restrictions.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright to this collection rests with the City of London.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Further records relating to Muriel Smith and related organisations may be found among the records of the London Council for Social Services ACC/1888, and the National Council of Voluntary Organisations LMA/4016.

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area