Description:In the early 1970s, six purpose-built children’s homes were built each of which could accommodate 18 children. 5 Triumph Walk was one of these, opening in 1973.
The idea for the 18 bed units came from the Williams Committee recommendations for larger units. Each home was two storey and had, on the ground floor, a dining room and kitchen, a quiet room and a play room, and staff sitting and dining rooms. On the first floor were staff bedrooms, bathrooms and children’s bedrooms –two 4-bed rooms, two 3-bed rooms and four single rooms.
While it was built as an 18-bed unit, the capacity was reduced to 16 in 1974.
After the first of the six new homes were completed, the Residential Service Sub-committee expressed their ‘general dissatisfaction with the design of the present 18 bed homes’. Problems arose from the size of the dining room, the height of the corridors and other amendments to the original specifications largely brought about to cut costs.
In around 1981 the home was transferred, as a children’s home, to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.
The building has since been demolished and housing has been built in its place.
----------
Image: The Birmingham Children's Homes project has no photograph of Triumph Walk children's home at this stage.
----------
Source: This history was compiled by the Birmingham Children's Homes Project, an initiative to explore Birmingham City Council-run children’s homes between 1949 and 1990.