A lot of people will remember or be familiar with the YMCA in Blantyre, once on Glasgow Road. However, I’m willing to bet that not many of us knew there was once a YWCA in Blantyre too!
In April 1907, a proposal came about to create a Young Women’s Christian Association in Blantyre. One of the first principals of this Association was that it should fall under the remit of Blantyre’s churches. It was also a principal that it provided some sort of work for those who may not have any. Besides those spiritual ends, there were to be many material advantages for members. Such as employment, access to holiday homes, access to emigration agencies , travel advice and a sense of belonging to the society.
The association also provided a constant supply of books to libraries. An inaugural meeting took place on Friday 19th April 1907 at 8pm in the Methodist Church Hall. Miss McFadyen was the first secretary.
YWCA was founded in 1855 by two women in London to mirror the already established and respected YMCA in England. YWCA originally stood for the Young Women’s Christian Association. In Scotland, they later rebranded to The Young Women’s Movement to emphasise that we they are a secular movement for all faiths.
