WELCOME!
This is the official website of The Liverpool Blue Coat School Old Blues' Association, (formerly the Liverpool Blue Coat Brotherly Society). If you were ever a student or member of staff at The Liverpool Blue Coat School, this is for you!
THE GALLERY
Check out our GALLERY page, containing old photographs of the entire school. See if you can find yourself!
THE LIVERPOOL BLUE COAT SCHOOL
Were you looking for the website of the actual Liverpool Blue Coat School?
If so, please click HERE.
OUR MEETINGS
All subscribing members are eligible to attend and vote at these meetings, usually held quarterly.
Our next meeting is the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, to be held on Tuesday 20th June 2023 at 4.00 p.m. in the School.
CONTACTING US (These contact details take you to our President, Ron Richardson).
By email: raffles@blueyonder.com
By phone: 0151 426 0029 or 07867 757334
By post: 15 Dunbeath Avenue, Rainhill, L35 0QH
OUR MOTTO
"And may all its proceedings be characterised by brotherly love".
WHAT IS AN OLD BLUE?
Quite simply, this is any person who, in the past, has been a student or a teacher at The Liverpool Blue Coat School.
OUR HISTORY
The Liverpool Blue Coat Hospital (as it was known from its foundation back in 1708 until as recently as 1949) was a charitable institution, where poor children (mainly orphans or fatherless) were educated and lodged free of charge. Teenage boys would leave the school and start work in such positions as apprentices, office clerks and messengers, with no parental support.
On 12th February 1838 The Brotherly Society was formed as a charity by a group of "Old Blues" who were now successfully established in their careers and wanted to "give something back" to young boys who were leaving the school.
An "Old Blue" would be appointed as a mentor (like a big brother) to each boy leaving the school. This "Old Blue" would visit the boy at his home (usually one-room lodgings) and his workplace to offer advice, support and guidance. If the boy needed any help with things such as books, tools or work clothing, the "Old Blue" would secure funding for this from The Brotherly Society.
The "Old Blues" would also offer support where necessary to the school itself. Notably, they would visit the school on Christmas Day and provide things such as Christmas puddings containing "threepenny bits" (the equivalent of 1p in today's money, but a small fortune to the child receiving it).
This charity does not raise money by holding events or collections. The vast majority of our funding is by voluntary subscription from grateful "Old Blues", and this has always been the case.
THE PRESENT DAY
In 1949 the girls left and The Liverpool Blue Coat Hospital became a bi-lateral boys' school. The Foundation charity continued to own the buildings (it still does) and supply the needs of the boys housed there, but a grammar stream was introduced for "day boys" and the Liverpool Education Committee provided the staff and equipment for teaching purposes.
As the number of "poor orphans" decreased rapidly, the "Old Blues" were called upon less for assistance and were able to provide more tangible gifts to the school, that could not be afforded by local authority budgets. We celebrated our centenary in 1938 by fitting out the chapel with splendid oak pews (sadly now removed in controversial circumstances). In 1963 we celebrated our 125th anniversary by providing the stained glass south window in the chapel. The Old Blues' Memorial Library was presented in 1952 in remembrance of the "Old Blues" who gave their lives in two world wars. The splendid gates in front of the clock tower were presented when the school celebrated its 250th anniversary in 1958.
In recent years we have provided funds for the all-weather sports pitch at Lance Lane, library equipment, the chapel's sound system and the "Old Blues' Corridor", linking the entrance below the clock tower with the Shirley Hall.
However, we still try to assist with financial needs of present and past students, as well as those new students who need "kitting out" before starting in Year 7. Scroll down to the "Financial Help" section to see how we can help.
CONSTITUTION AND RULES
These were last revised in March 2016 and can be downloaded as a PDF document (25kb) by clicking HERE.
OUR OFFICIALS
(List updated 26th April 2022)
President: Ron Richardson
Vice President: Charles Hodgson
Treasurer: Jennifer Graham
Assistant treasurer: Steve Elliott
Secretary: Keith Caulkin MBE
Trustees: Steve Ashley, Keith Caulkin MBE, Steve Elliott, Charles Hodgson, Les Page & Ron Richardson
Committee Members (advisory): Ray Livingston, Debbie Silcock, Sandy Tittershill
Patrons: Graham Holiday, Neil Lovell-Kennedy, Peter Lunt, Luminita Paraoan, John Rees, Mike Walker
Parents' Association Rep: Keith Caulkin MBE
Webmaster: Tony Salmon
JOINING THE OLD BLUES
To do this, you can fill in a form, which can be downloaded as a PDF by clicking HERE. All the information and instructions are on the form. All you need to do is print it out, fill it in, sign it and send it back to us. The address is on the form. To be a "subscribing member" a voluntary annual subscription may be sent to us. (Most people send at least £20.00 every January).
Subscribing members are eligible to vote at meetings and stand for election to official positions on the committee. If you wish to pay by regular Standing Order, click HERE to download a Standing Order Mandate in PDF format.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Financial assistance may be available in certain circumstances. If you need help, please click the appropriate link below to download an application form in PDF format. Information is included on the form, and all applications will be treated in confidence. It is not even shared with the school. Just print the form out, fill it in and send it to us.
FORM OB3 - Parents/carers of new Year 7 students, due to start this coming September, should use this form.
FORM OB4 - Parents/carers of current students at The Liverpool Blue Coat School should use this form.
FORM OB5 - Any Old Blue (past student or teacher at The Liverpool Blue Coat School) should use this form.
TRACING YOUR ANCESTORS
We receive many enquiries from people trying to find out about their ancestors, who may have been pupils at The Liverpool Blue Coat School. Before contacting us, these little pointers may help you:
- Are you sure it was the LIVERPOOL Blue Coat School? There are several other Blue Coat Schools around the UK.
- From 1920 onwards, records are retained by ourselves. Please contact us with as much information as you can and we will search our records for you.
- Prior to 1920, enquiries should be directed to: RECORDS OFFICE, LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL, CENTRAL LIBRARY, WILLIAM BROWN STREET, LIVERPOOL L3 8EW. You can call them on 0151 233 5817 or email to recoffice.central.library@liverpool.gov.uk
LEGAL STUFF (WEBSITE PRIVACY POLICY)
- This website is operated by The Liverpool Blue Coat Old Blues' Association
- This policy only covers this website and does not extend to other websites to which links are provided.
- The only personal information that The Liverpool Blue Coat Old Blues' Association may collect from you via this website is your email address and any other information that you may forward to us. This information will be processed and retained in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018.
- Information retained will only be used to answer enquiries or processing your requests.
- Visitors to this website are tracked by Google and Webeden (the website host). We can identify the servers of visitors to the website, but not individual IP (Internet Provider) addresses. However, in the event of any suspected criminal activity (including obscene or threatening messages sent via the website) the Police can obtain this information as part of their investigations.
- This website is Copyright of The Liverpool Blue Coat Old Blues' Association 2022. No part of this website may be copied without prior permission from The Liverpool Blue Coat Old Blues' Association.
THIS WEBSITE was last updated on 8th June 2023.
