"Ten months ago, the Belgian Workshop opened at Crosby Hall with 12 to 15 people. Belgian ladies from the Chelsea area wanted to attend this workshop for the well-being of their brave soldiers and for the destitute people of Belgium. There are now at least 320 groups registered in the books of the Workshop, some of which consist of a single small refugee family, living in a remote corner of the province, others of perhaps twenty families meeting weekly in one of Britain's towns to talk about their homeland and to encourage each other to work for it: in all about 1300 individuals. There are also English ladies, perhaps from a local committee, who take part by organising the meetings or distributing the raw materials provided by Crosby Hall. But ours is above all a Belgian work, supported by the refugees themselves. Whether the woman who offers herself for work is a lady from Brussels or a small peasant girl who only speaks 'Vlaamsch', as long as she is honest and willing, we send her wool to knit socks or a shirt to sew."
Report of work at Crosby Hall, Chelsea (IWM BEL 6 52/9)
