11/06/2026
The Rowntree Society have organised this event.
Did you know Belgian refugee families were welcomed to York during the First World War?
The invasion of Belgium at the beginning of the First World War, in August 1914, forced many Belgian families to flee their homes.
Quakers in York, including members of the Rowntree family, helped to welcome them to the city. On arrival, refugees were taken to the Clifford Street Quaker Meeting House, where they were given food and somewhere safe to stay before being found accommodation around York.
We know about these efforts through an account written by Joan Rowntree while she was a pupil at The Mount School, where students were asked to help support the newcomers.
At Rowntree’s Cocoa Works, workers were encouraged to raise money to support the refugees, and houses were made available for them in New Earswick. Volunteers from the factory, alongside their friends and families, prepared the houses ready for refugee families to move in.
Rowntree’s also provided jobs for many of the Belgian refugees, whilst those who were unable to work received financial support from the workers’ fund.
Join us on 20th June for Refugees & Rowntrees, where we will explore this story and other examples of how the Rowntree family, company, and Trusts supported refugees across the twentieth century.
🎟️ Although tickets are free, spaces are limited and booking is essential via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/refugees-rowntrees-tickets-1986638194859
