Strawberry Field and the original Victorian house were gifted to The Salvation Army in 1934 and in 1936 it was opened as a children’s home for girls later accepting boys. From then on, for nearly 70 years, it gave some of Liverpool’s most vulnerable children a refuge from turmoil and unhappiness – a safe, calm and spiritual home.
It was on these grounds that a young John Lennon, before Beatles fame, came to play, reflect and escape the post-War streets of Woolton. Those days spent playing in The Salvation Army grounds shaped him and inspired his work within the Beatles as an adult. Strawberry Field was later immortalised in the famous song, ‘Strawberry Fields Forever,’ where he explored those more innocent days of escape that could counter the later complexities of a life lived in the public gaze.
Remaining true to the tradition of giving young people every best chance to succeed in life, Strawberry Field is perpetuating this legacy of care and support through a new training hub for young people with learning difficulties and other barriers to employment. With a visitor exhibition exploring the site’s history and links to John Lennon, a café as well as gardens for spiritual reflection, the Strawberry Field site weaves together educational, cultural, heritage and spiritual elements in one site to continue inspiring future generations to come.
With every purchase from the Strawberry Field range, you will be helping to continue the legacy of supporting young people at Strawberry Field, this time by helping young people with learning difficulties overcome the barriers they face in gaining meaningful employment.
