Timeline 1872 - 1998

1872

Birmingham Town Mission was a charity with offices in Temple Row
and two outreach centres in Balsall Heath. During this year the charity
set up two new schemes, expanding on its initial purpose of providing assistance to men and women in need of shelter and alleviating the suffering of the poor and of those in distress. One of these new schemes was to establish a mission to cabmen, and the other an outreach to the "Dead and Dumb" community. A 'Missionary' was appointed, Mr W.A. Griffiths, who was Deaf himself. He gave Christian lectures and visited the Deaf in their own homes.

1873

Town Missions asked for subscriptions from the general public towards the "Missions for the Deaf and Dumb", work growing to such an extent that "The Birmingham Adult Deaf and Dumb Association" was formed as a separate charity. The committee resolved, along with the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, "that it is desirable that an Institute for the Adult Deaf and Dumb of Birmingham and district should be established and a Committee be now elected to carry out this project".

The next thirty years saw the association develop, but with no permanent meeting place. 

1932

Enough funds were raised to convert a warehouse and stables in Granville Street into the first centre in the city for Deaf people. The building was initially named "Birmingham Institute for the Deaf and Dumb", but as attitudes changed, the name was shortened to "Birmingham Institute for the Deaf". 

1952

BID and the Birmingham local authority set up the first contract in the UK to provide a statutory service for Deaf people.

1973

BID moved from Granville Street to a new centre in Ladywood Road after an appeal launced in the early 1970's raised £57,000. 

1998

Offices in Monument Road were rented due to a shortage of space.

Click here to look at a full resolution gallery of previous buildings/centres and look at the kind of events they held.