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Sachiko Morita, Utsunomiya University, JapanAbstract
Founded in Birmingham, England, Cadbury is renowned not only for its chocolate business but also for its enduring commitment to social responsibility. Among its many philanthropic initiatives, one of the most significant was its support for adult education. This paper focuses on Fircroft College, a residential workers’ college established by the Cadbury family in 1909, and examines its role during the economic crisis of the 1930s. Fircroft was part of the Selly Oak Colleges—a group of institutions backed by the Cadbury family as part of their broader educational vision. Its founding was influenced by the Scandinavian Folk high school tradition, a respected model of residential adult education in Northern Europe. The college offered not only academic instruction but also a holistic environment that fostered community, reflection, and civic responsibility. During the Great Depression, Fircroft’s mission was tested by rising unemployment and social hardship. Through close analysis of primary sources—including The Fircroft Year annual reports from 1932 to 1938—and contemporary British newspapers, this study explores how Fircroft supported the education and development of working-class individuals during a time of national uncertainty. The research elucidates how this Nordic-style residential college empowered workers during a period of crisis and discusses the implications for contemporary business engagement in adult education.
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Conference: ECAH2025Stream: History/Historiography
This paper is part of the ECAH2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Morita S. (2025) Cadbury’s Corporate Philanthropy in the Great Depression: Contributions to Workers’ Education ISSN: 2188-1111 – The European Conference on Arts & Humanities 2025: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 333-343) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1111.2025.28
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1111.2025.28
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