WORTLEY HALL is a Georgian mansion now owned by the working-class movement.

Located between Sheffield and Barnsley in South Yorkshire and sitting in 26 acres of picturesque formal gardens and woodland, it has a rich history.

It was originally the ancestral home of the earls of Wharncliffe — the lords of the manor of Wortley.

Wortley Hall was built from the wealth of the Wharncliffe family, derived primarily from coalmining in South Yorkshire, and generations of one family had enjoyed privilege at the expense of the many.

This era changed in a watershed meeting convened in May 1950.

The hall was in a semi-derelict condition following WWII when it had been occupied by the army.

Retired miner and socialist pioneer Vin Williams addressed other local labour movement activists, outlining a proposal that Wortley Hall could have the potential of being both owned by the workers and run for the workers’ benefit.

On May 5 1951, Wortley Hall was formally opened as an educational and holiday centre.

Engineering workers, miners, railway and foundry workers, builders, labourers, housewives, people from all walks of life, trades and professions volunteered their services to restore the hall due to a belief in the ideals of creating a “Home of the Labour Movement.”

Since 1959, when the house and grounds were purchased from the Wharncliffe family, Wortley Hall has been owned collectively through individuals and organisations from the wider trade union and labour movement purchasing shares.

The shares are not floated on the stock market but allow individuals and organisations to become involved in the running of this unique organisation — a company working on co-operative principles as a not-for-profit organisation. 

This means that each year any operating profit is put back into the business in the form of repairs and/or development and paid to staff as a profit-sharing bonus.

A management board is elected from and by the shareholders and the board is responsible for employing the senior management team who in turn employ the staff.

The board holds monthly meetings to receive reports from the senior management team and hear from the various subcommittees such as halls and gardens and finance.

The president, political secretary and general manager report to shareholders on a quarterly basis.

With the exception of the political secretary, no board members receive any payment and work on a voluntary basis.

Many of the rooms in the hall have been adopted by different trade unions or organisations donating funds, for examplem the Fire Brigades Union dining room, the AEU lounge, the National Assembly of Women garden room, GMB room, the Unite ballroom and the Sylvia Pankhurst Library, for their upkeep.

The hall’s bedroom wings are named after people within the socialist movement, like Keir Hardie, Tom Mann, George Lansbury, Abe Moffat, Alfred Hague and Harry Johnson — just one way in which Wortley Hall successfully combines its historical background with luxurious modern hospitality.

The hall’s values and heritage are enhanced by the positive experiences of its visitors, and it is this heritage that communicates socialism in action, and represents the labour movement’s history to its shareholders and the wider community.

Wortley Hall has hosted international delegations from all over the world, fostering peace and solidarity between our individual labour movements.

Throughout a changing world, these links with, for example, Bulgaria, the Soviet Union, Cuba, and the ANC of South Africa, have complemented solidarity with our domestic industrial struggles.

In the 1984-5 miners’ strike, the hall provided meals for striking miners and their families.

While some groups using Wortley Hall have done so for several decades, such as the Workers Music Association summer school and the Clarion Cycling Club, there is a recognition that Britain’s industrial base has changed.

That change has seen an evolution of other progressive groups, such as the Ramblers’ Association, and the annual South Yorkshire Festival.

The management of Wortley Hall is now on a tight commercial footing, striving to provide excellence of service while maintaining a grasp of its heritage and objectives.

Over the last 50 years, successive generations have maintained the commitment and beliefs of those early pioneers.

Drawn from a broad base of the trade union and labour movement, no one person or organisation can have overall control of Wortley Hall.

This is one of its strengths, a truly co-operative venture, run by its members for the movement as a whole.

In the words of a past president, Stuart Charnley: “This is our oasis of socialism; let us ensure its successful continuation.”

While maintaining its founding principles, the hall has had to become more commercial to survive.

It is now licensed for weddings and is a popular wedding venue.

The Ruddy Duck restaurant with its prestigious 2 AA rosettes complements the rooms and, if something less formal is required, bar meals and afternoon teas are available for guests and the public.

In addition, there are cottages for anyone wanting a longer stay or a stay at the caravan park. Looking to the future it is also hoped glamping pods and teepees can be added for the more adventurous in the grounds.

Current president, retired GMB senior organiser Graham Benton, said: “Our heritage is one the management board is determined to maintain despite all the difficulties of Covid-19.

“Our staff and managers have done their utmost to provide a service when allowed but the understandable extended restrictions have hit them and our finances hard.

“The board, trade unionists all, had to take the difficult decision to reduce our valued staff numbers as there was little or no business coming in and staff have had to be furloughed on reduced wages.

“We are not part of a hotel chain, and never will be, nor do we have any large benefactors.

“Our income comes from the trade union and wider labour movement and the income from the business facilities we provide.

“Without that business coming in, the future looks uncertain to say the least.

“On a more positive note, 2021 sees the hall’s platinum anniversary as the ‘Workers’ Stately Home’ and we do hope to be able to run a number of events to celebrate the occasion and raise funds as and when the pandemic allows so please keep an eye on the website for further details. We look forward to seeing everyone again and getting back to some form of normality.

“If you do not already know Wortley Hall, we hope that you will take the time to visit have a look around this wonderful house and gardens either on the website or better still by visiting when government restrictions allow.”

You can find out more about becoming a shareholder on the website www.wortleyhall.org.uk.