South Yorkshire Times, May 7, 1949
Pensioner’s Mite Helps Denaby Savings Drive
Every Saturday night, 80-years-old John Thomas Andrews puts on his cap in his home in Rossington Street, Denaby, and walks across to the Denaby and Cadeby Miners’ Welfare. There he orders a pint and then slips sixpence into the hand of Mr. J. A. Jolley (picture) —his weekly contribution to the Savings Club.
John is a pensioner and isn’t able to save anything out of his pension so he does odd jobs for his neighbour at a shilling or 1s. 6d. a time —and sixpence goes regularly into his account at the Welfare.
There are 999 other members of the club and each Saturday Mr Jolley (four years treasurer) takes between £190 and £200. Since the club was formed in 1941 miners and their wives have saved over £40,000, and last year set up a record of £6,693.
Between 1941 and 1944, the yearly savings rose steadily from £2,038 to £5,468 and remained steady for two years. A jump of nearly £1,000 between 1946 and 1948 is accounted for by the five day week, says Mr Jolley. Miners who work the full shifts receive bonus—and put a little extra into their account.
The actual annual totals are: 1941, £2,038; 1942, £3,272; 19133, £4,645; 1944, £5,468; 1945, £5,896; 1946, £5,929; 1947, £6,271; and 1948, £6,693.
Mr Jolley calls this savings scheme “Saving with a Smile.” The men and their wives would rather bring their savings to the Welfare than put them in a bank,” he told a “South Yorkshire Times” reporter.
What do the miners do with the money? Well, the club have three pay-outs a year—at Whitsuntide, just before miners’ holiday week in July, and at Christmas. Last Christmas a record £7,000 was paid out. For the holiday week it is quite a common thing for a miner to draw out as much as £30. Whitsuntide is when mother gets a finger in the pie—to draw out enough money to buy new clothes for the children.
Last Whitsuntide the club paid out £246.
Contributions vary from 6d, to £5, but each member has at least 26s. saved on the year. Membership is limited to 1,000. It has never dropped below that figure because there has always been a constant stream of applicants.