TOC H, BUCKLEY BRANCH, RECORDS OF

This collection contains records of the Buckley Branch of Toc H, including management and administrative records; branch records of events and achievements; correspondence; accounts and financial records; records of the history of Toc H; membership records; press and publicity records; photographs; and miscellaneous records.

Toc H was founded in 1915 by an Army Chaplain, Reverend P.T.B. Clayton, also known as 'Tubby Clayton'. He opened a club for soldiers in Belgium, near the town of Ieper, where heavy fighting took place during the Second World War. The name 'Toc H' is signallers' jargon for 'Talbot House', the name of the first meeting house in Belgium. Soldiers of any rank or background were welcomed into a 'safe-house' of the Christian fellowship, whether or not they were of the Christian faith.

Later, small groups of Toc H developed across the world. Toc H is described in its own literature as 'an adventure of creative friendship', in which members deliberately try to meet people which they would not normally come across in their daily lives. 'People of different ages, backgrounds and beliefs meet and find that this can lead to deep friendship despite the differences. In that way a Toc H group develops a rich fellowship, which is actually strengthened by the mixture of people.'

Local groups carried out many types of service to their community, and welcomed anyone into their organisation. The Buckley branch of Toc H was formed in 1933. Initially, a weekly meeting was held at the 'Cosy Café' in Buckley. Later, meetings were held at the Hawkesbury Community Centre in Buckley.

One of the Buckley Branch's first works was to carry out a house-to-house collection in order to buy new clothes for poor children. They managed to supply new clothes to around 16 families in the area. They carried out services such as a hospital library service; raising money to buy Christmas presents for elderly residents of care homes; and helping local people who were elderly and infirm. Buckley Toc H members, with the aid of local Boy Scouts, distributed 70 bundles of firewood to 'the old and infirm who had no near relatives to provide for them' on 16th December 1972 (from Log Book Apr 1972-Nov 1973).

'Tubby Clayton', founder of Toc H, died in December 1972 (Sunday Express, 17th December 1972 - from Log Book Apr 1972-Nov 1973). Toc H as an international organisation is still in existence, with groups all over the world. In the 1980s, membership of the organisation was around 10,000 and there were groups in India, Australia, South Africa and South America as well as in Britain. The Buckley Branch was disbanded in 2007, due to a decline in membership and the deaths of several long-standing members.

Arranged into the following series: Management/Administrative records; Accounts and Financial records; History of Toc H records; Membership records; Press and Publicity records; Photographs; and Miscellaneous.

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