Chain firm is rebuilt

A historic Workers’ Institute set up as a monument to the region’s women chainmakers has been rebuilt at the Black Country Living Museum.

The site originally won a £1.1million Lottery grant for the rebuild in 2005.

Today the restoration work was completed. The new addition to the museum, which used to stand in Cradley Heath, is expected to be opened to the public within weeks. Patron of the project, MP for Halesowen and Rowley Regis Sylvia Heal, performed the topping out ceremony today.

The Workers’ Institute is a testament to the work of Mary Macarthur, one of Britain’s greatest union leaders, and the women chainmakers. Their 10-week strike action in 1910 led to a landmark victory, which helped establish Britain’s first piece of legislation on low pay and the beginning of the minimum wage movement.

Ian Walden, director of the Black Country Living Museum, said: “Sylvia has been a great supporter of the Institute project since we first considered moving the Workers’ Institute to the museum and she is the project’s patron. 

“She helped us with the fundraising when we started dismantling the building and it seemed only fitting that she should help us celebrate the completion of the main structure. 

“It will be a few weeks before we can open the Workers’ Institute to the public but we really are looking forward to this major new addition to the museum.”

The deputy speaker of the House of Commons donned her hard hat and safety jacket for the ceremony which saw the scaffolding around the building removed, revealing the building’s arts and crafts style. The interior of the Workers’ Institute is set in 1935 and will house an exhibition marking the 25th anniversary of the 1910 chainmakers’ strike.

Mrs Heal said: “Women’s labour history is still under-represented and largely ignored. Saving this building and telling its story will help change all this.”