Clipping from page six of the Western Mail, titled 'Help for Refugees', reporting on offers of support and fundraising for Belgian refugees, Cardiff, Wednesday 4 November 1914

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Image © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

This clipping is found half way down the penultimate column of page six of the Western Mail, Wednesday 4 November 1914, and shows a series of items describing help given to Belgian refugees in Cardiff. These include offers of accommodation from Grangetown Baptist Church, Bethany Baptist Church and also Grangetown residents, the proceeds from the sale of a poem 'Honour the Belgians', and a concert at the Park Hotel.

Homeless Belgian refugee families arrived in Cardiff from 11 September 1914. On 17 October, Mr T J Hughes (chairman of the Welsh Insurance Commission, which administered national insurance funds) was reported as saying that roughly 165 refugees were in Cardiff (Western Mail 19 October, page 3). Residents were expected to accommodate refugees at their own expense.

The article reads:

HELP FOR REFUGEES
SPLENDID OFFERS BY CARDIFF CHURCHES.

An offer to rent a house for a family of Belgian refugees has been received from the Grangetown Baptist Church, Clive-street, Cardiff. A member of the congregation has also offered to accommodate four on his small yacht. Bethany Baptist Church, Cardiff, has taken a house and offered to support a family of refugees for twelve months. Mrs. Gilbert Martino, Agincourt-road has sent the Lord Mayor another £10 for the Cardiff Belgian Refugees’ Fund, the proceeds of the sale of the poem. "Honour the Belgians” making a total of £23 2s. from that source.

CONCERT FOR REFUGEES

The Lord Mayor of Cardiff’s Fund for the Belgian refugees benefited to a large extent by the proceeds of a concert held at the Whitehall Rooms of the Park Hotel. Every item on the programme, arranged by the Misses May and Gretta Davies, Eglwysbrewis, was highly appreciated by the audience. Besides the items given by the Misses Davies songs were sung by Madame Nellie Asher, Miss Daisy Thorne, Mr. Gwilym Price, and Mr. Talbot Thomas, while Miss Blanche John accompanied on the piano.

HOME FOR BELGIANS IN GRANGETOWN.

A well-attended meeting of the residents of Grangetown Ward on Tuesday evening adopted a scheme to establish a home for the refugees from Belgium. The Deputy-Lord Mayor (Dr R. J. Smith) presided over the gathering, which was held in the Y.M.C.A. Institute. Clydach-street, and he was supported by Councillor W. R. Smith and Councillor Sydney Jenkins.

Officers and a committee were appointed to carry out the project, and guarantee forms were distributed.