Volunteer Opportunities - Extend your horizons and gain new skills while helping our work to grow

Keep up to date with the Archive and Study Centre News Blog

Volunteer Opportunities - Extend your horizons and gain new skills while helping our work to grow

Keep up to date with the Archive and Study Centre News Blog

Introduction to
The Planned Environment Therapy Trust
Archive and Study Centre

The Planned Environment Therapy Trust Archive was founded in 1989 in order to gather and protect the papers of individuals, institutions and organisations involved in environment therapy/milieu therapy/therapeutic community, and in that 'democratic' or 'alternative' approach to schools and education which has been called "therapeutic communities for normal children". The Archive forms the core of the Study Centre, which includes the library, seminar rooms, and living accommodation for visiting students and scholars.

The Study Centre has the broader aim of encouraging and promoting research and discussion in the fields covered by the Archive. It does this in part through an active oral history recording programme; through small grants; through publication; and through exhibitions, meetings, seminars and small conferences. For recent activity, see the Newsletter and the Annual Report, 1997-1998..

Collections currently held by the Archive include:

The MARJORIE FRANKLIN (1877-1975) Collection, including over a hundred of her paintings;

Personal and professional papers of W. DAVID WILLS (1903-1980);

The ARTHUR T. BARRON (1919-1981) Collection;

The letters, notes, manuscripts and other materials assembled by JONATHAN CROALL in the course of his research for and writing of "Neill of Summerhill: The Permanent Rebel";

Materials related to OTTO SHAW, and the archives of RED HILL SCHOOL (1934-1992);

The archives of the SUSSEX YOUTH TRUST, the CHALVINGTON TRUST and CHALVINGTON SCHOOL (1980-1992);

The archives of WEST HOPE MANOR/SHOTTON HALL SCHOOL (1949-1992);

The archives of NEW BARNS SCHOOL (1965-1992);

The archives of the ARBOURS ASSOCIATION (1973- )

The archives of the Q-CAMPS COMMITTEE (1935-c.1966), including the records of HAWKSPUR CAMP FOR MEN, one of the earliest of the therapeutic communities in England (1936-1940);

The archives of the HOMER LANE SOCIETY, the HOMER LANE TRUST, and the HOMER LANE TRUST LIMITED (1964- );

DR. DAVID CLARK's papers relating to the founding and early years of the ASSOCIATION OF THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES (1970-1982);

DR. ROBERT HINSHELWOOD's papers related to the ASSOCIATION OF THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES, and to his work with therapeutic communities in Kensington and Chelsea (1975-1979);

The archives of the INSTITUTE OF PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDIES, which arranged the DIALECTICS OF LIBERATION CONFERENCE in 1969;

A significant collection concerning the ASSOCIATION OF WORKERS FOR MALADJUSTED CHILDREN (now the ASSOCIATION OF WORKERS FOR CHILDREN WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL DIFFICULTIES) (1951 - )

Several smaller collections relating, for example, to TRENCH HALL SPECIAL SCHOOL, FRANK MATHEWS and the BIRMINGHAM SOCIETY FOR THE CARE OF INVALID AND NERVOUS CHILDREN, BODENHAM MANOR SCHOOL, CHILDREN'S SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT LIMITED, SWALCLIFFE SCHOOL under RICHARD BALBERNIE, and the COTSWOLD COMMUNITY. Elements of DR. MAXWELL JONES' archive have already come into the Archive, and once processed in Canada his archive as such will be housed here.

ORAL HISTORY

The Archive has a significant oral history collection, which holds a growing number of recordings made by others and deposited in the Archive - recordings of talks and conferences, of special events, of interviews with significant figures in the therapeutic community world - and the Archive does everything it can to encourage recording by others: It offers advice, makes grants of tapes, loans equipment and sees to transcription.

The Archive's own oral history programme currently includes discussions on the Northfield Military Psychiatric Hospital, Barns Hostel School in Scotland, Peper Harow, Marjorie Franklin, Arthur Barron, Chalvington, Swalcliffe, the John Conolly Hospital, the Henderson Hospital, Littlemore Hospital, Fulbourn Hospital, Hawkspur Camp for Boys, the Arbours Association, the Mulberry Bush School, Frank Mathews, Bodenham Manor School, Trench Hall School, Maxwell Jones and his life and career, Dingleton Hospital, and others. The film and video library - which includes footage of Mill Hill Psychiatric Hospital during the war and war-time footage of Barns Hostel School - is also growing.

OUTREACH

The Archive is also concerned to help to locate, preserve, make known and make available collections of material held elsewhere. Among the collections which the Archive has listed and/or to which it has offered advice and help in conservation, storage and handling conditions have been the archives of the Birmingham Society for the Care of Invalid and Nervous Children; the Cassel Hospital; and the Messenger House Trust. In certain circumstances the Archive can make small grants of archival storage materials and assistance.

GETTING IN TOUCH

Visits to the Archive are very welcome, but for space and staffing reasons must be arranged in advance with the archivist. Researchers are also asked to indicate in writing the purpose and nature of their proposed research, the subjects being pursued and/or the collections to which access is desired. Where possible, collections are open to anyone with a genuine interest in the field, but researchers will understand that there are some sensitive materials to which access is restricted, and there are materials or collections which can not be made available because they are being listed or catalogued, or because the materials they contain are confidential. All readers will be expected to sign an undertaking to abide by the conditions of the Archive, as well as the special conditions attached to any particular collection, before any material will be made available.

For further information, or to arrange a visit, please contact the archivist at:

Planned Environment Therapy Trust Archive and Study Centre
Church Lane
Toddington
Cheltenham
GLOS. GL54 5DQ
ENGLAND

Phone/FAX: +44 (0) 1242 620125

E-mail: archive@pettarchiv.org.uk

Map and Directions

Return to the top of the page

Association of Therapeutic Communities	PLANNED ENVIRONMENT THERAPY TRUST	Charterhouse Group
Therapeutic Community Open Forum		RadioTC International
The WebSearch the Site

This page authored by: Craig Fees