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In 1909, Stephen Hedley Pearson founded the Beeston Boys Brigade. It provided activities for boys including gymnastics, games, a musical band, first-aid and team sports. It opened every night with a weekly bible class. Initially, 120 boys enrolled and by 1914; there were 300 members. There was also a thriving Old Boys Association.

The Old Boys responded to the call to arms immediately, encouraged very actively by Pearson.

In August 1914, Pearson marched with 27 pals from Beeston to the drill hall in Nottingham to enlist. Pearson didn’t join at this stage – aged 32, he was deemed too old for the front at the time.

Of this initial contingent only 16 would survive.

As the war continued, more Old Boys were to volunteer. In all, 42 of the Beeston Boys Brigade Old Boys would be killed.

Captain Pearson also died. He was shot in the head leading his men at Gauche Wood in the later stages of the Cambrai Offensive.

The Old Boys and Captain Pearson are remembered on a memorial at the Pearson Centre for Young People. The centre was named after Captain Pearson and his cap is kept there in a case as a memorial.

The Boys Brigade in Beeston is still thriving with over 90 members in a modern building where dance, IT, music activities have been introduced.

Location: Pearson Centre for Young People, 2 Nuart Road, Beeston, Nottingham NG92NH
Image: A picture of the boys brigade outside the Anglo-Scotia Mills building in 1913 (compared to the building in 2014), courtesy of Richard Dawson

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