Formed in 1960, the Sparkbrook Association was a non-political voluntary organisation which aimed to promote the well-being of people living in the Sparkbrook area. It provided a number of welfare facilities and social activities in an area which had become home to many new migrants but was experiencing poor housing, overcrowding and other social deprivations.
The Sparkbrook Association played an important role in promoting good relations between people from different ethnic backgrounds, fostering community spirit and raising the quality of life of people living in an area that had been labelled and dismissed as a 'Twilight Zone.' By investing resources, promoting the richness of the local area and reviving its spirits, the Association showed that Sparkbrook was a place that many were proud to call their home.
The papers deposited in City Archives are the personal papers of Dr Mary (Mollie) Barrow, an active campaigner for the Association with a particular interest in community health. Although not the formal archive of the Sparkbrook Association, the papers reveal a fascinating insight into the workings of a voluntary organisation which was carrying out inspiring work in Birmingham within a challenging yet diverse urban landscape.
The archive of the Sparkbrook Association [MS 1914] is available at Birmingham City Archives.
Images and further information about the Sparkbrook Association can be found in Campaigning for Social Justice in the learning section.
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