By the mid 1920s coal mining in the Airth district was well past its heyday. Consequently it was not due much in the way of grants from the Miners’ Welfare Fund. However, its leaders were very persuasive and it managed to winkle far more out than it was owed. Much of this was due to the influence of J Prince, the miners’ welfare agent for the area. The Central Miners’ Welfare Committee initially offered a grant of £1,500, but this was increased by a further £400. The programme of work began rather late in the day, after most of the other districts had been served. In February 1928 a meeting was held between the Airth Miners’ Welfare and Community Scheme and Henry Wilson, architect, Grangemouth, to go over the approved plan of a hall. A small recreation club had just been established and it was the intention to amalgamate it into the new scheme – hence the inclusion of the word “community” in the above. A search for a suitable site led to the Trustees of Airth Castle Estate granting favourable terms for a central site in the village on the High Street at the east end of Graham Terrace.
Planning permission was granted in January 1930 – provided that an emergency door was placed at the rear of the premises. It was opened on 28 November that year by Mrs Jones of Dunmore Park. Some of the fundraising events had taken place at her house. The building consisted of a hall, suitable for seating 400 persons, retiring rooms, and the necessary lavatory accommodation for both sexes, and a kitchen and heating chamber. There was also a large billiard room and a reading room. The latter could be converted into a supper room as it was contiguous to the kitchen. The contractors were: mason and brickwork – Murdoch & Co, Stenhousemuir; joiners – Downie & Son, Bo’ness; plasterers – T Macgregor & Sons, Laurieston; slater – J Westland, Camelon; plumber – R Sinclair, Laurieston; heating – D S Murray, Glasgow; and electric lighting – T Irvine, Falkirk. The old community trust handed over two billiard tables, a bowling table, a piano and other equipment for the recreational side of the new institute.
The Airth Miners’ Welfare Institute served as an activity centre for the whole of the village and its year was punctuated by dances and concerts for the New Year’s revels, Burns Night, Halloween and the like. It was also the focus of attention at coronations and other national events. During the Second World War it was designated as a Rest Centre and dealt with ration books. Social gatherings continued and much money was raised for the Red Cross, the Falkirk Royal Infirmary and comforts for soldiers. Partly as a consequence the Airth Miners’ Welfare Society stayed in profit.
All of this meant co-operation with the Eastern No. 1 District Council. In 1955 the Coal and Industry Social Welfare Organisation, which now oversaw the Miners’ Welfare Funds assets, noted that the number of miners in the area had diminished. The sinking of a new super pit a little to the north put off its decision to end its association with the Airth Institute. The pit, however, never came into production and so it reassessed the situation.
It was 1971 before a disposition was made by the Trustees for Airth Miners Welfare Society in favour of the Trustees of Airth Welfare Hall (Falkirk Archives A2153.008).
Falkirk Local History Society 