How Permanent is Permanent? The Case of the Liverpool Civic Service League, 1911–1921

Described by its first chairman as an ‘organisation of Citizens willing to assist the Authorities in preserving the health, safety and well-being of the City in time of need’ the Liverpool Civic Service League was founded in August 1911 – a time characterised by economic and social unrest and a series of transport strikes. The Lord Mayor, while accepting the post of President, gave only qualified support, and others expressed unease about activities which came dangerously close to strike breaking. The minutes are vague about its work, but this would seem to have included caring for railway horses, loading and unloading food lorries and cooperating, more or less amicably, with the Head Constable in recruiting special constables. At the outbreak of war in 1914 the League, which then claimed an active membership of over 2,000, turned its attention to drill training for older men; using bought or borrowed motor vehicles as ambulances; ensuring that local hospitals had adequate supplies, and making or collecting comforts for the troops. In 1919 some members attempted a return to pre-war activities but found no enthusiasm amongst the wider membership. League records end in 1921. This article will examine the work of this short-lived organization, its contribution to Liverpool and its environs, ways in which this contribution changed and possible reasons for its failure to fulfil its original aim that it should become a permanent part of Liverpool’s civic life.