01491 874499 reception@policerehab.co.uk SIGN UP AND GET SUPPORT GIVE SUPPORT FACILITIES NEWS CONTACT US OUR HISTORY On 2nd June 1988, Flint House was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The Centre immediately began to provide facilities such as physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, stress counselling and health education to assist officers in quickly returning to full health. Flint House: A Brief History THE BEGINNINGS 1920s In 1925 Flint House was sold to a C.H. Whittington for £25,000. The new owner completed the two terraces in front of the house but, from personal preference and rather than have formal gardens he left the woods intact. He also built for staff a bungalow and a house, which is sited just east of the house entrance. 1930s During the 1930s the Whittington family undertook a good deal of entertaining. “A good time was had by all”… in a lifestyle that, whilst maybe not “Society”, was nonetheless typical of an upper middle class English family of that time. House and Domestic staff comprised a butler, cook, gardener and under gardener, a chauffeur, one kitchen maid, two housemaids and a lady’s maid. The local Scouts were given permission to use the grounds and a fete held in the grounds raised the funds for a new Scout hut in Goring. The War Years In 1939 everything changed. The onset of war saw evacuated children from South London accommodated at Flint House. However, as the war progressed the demand for accommodation for wounded and sick servicemen led the Whittingtons to offer the house rent free to the Red Cross for use as a convalescence home. The Whittington’s retained a small suite of rooms and some paid staff. Numbers of patients varied, but up to 40 could be accommodated. The servicemen were expected to help out with the running of the establishment, farm and garden. After the war the house returned to private occupation and the Whittington’s continued to live a quiet life with a reduced staff. During this time the woodlands, rather than the farm, provided them with a reasonable income. Flint House in the 60s In 1961 the house and estate was put up for sale, but the financial constraints of the times resulted in no buyers. An auction in May 1962 saw only two bidders, both speculators and the property sold for a knockdown £50,000 to a Mr. Simmons (not the Estate Agent). He immediately put it up for re-sale in lots. From 1963 to 1966 the house was used as a small independent school by a Mr & Mrs Harold Tuyn, but sadly very little is known about the house during this period. Eventually, Flint House was bought by the newly established ‘Water Industry Training Board’, who added a block of study/ bedrooms. When the board was dissolved the property defaulted to the ‘Thames Water Authority’ who, with no use for the property, let it stand empty. When they briefly returned the property to use, the authority laid out an elaborate system of pipes. Students were supposed to locate and rectify leaks. In true British worker’s solidarity it became a point of honour for the members of each course to supply the exact locations of the “leaks” to those on successive courses! Flint House in the 80s Once training ceased the property quickly fell into disuse again. On April 20th 1985 the house and 14 acres of surrounding land were purchased by the Police Convalescent Home Management Committee. All necessary works to convert the building into a rehabilitation centre were carried out and the Centre opened on June 2nd 1988. Since 1988, to accommodate the ever increasing demands of treating serving and retired police officers for illness and injury, the Centre has expanded. Several extensions have been added to the main house and in 2003 a completely new annexe, Flint Fold was opened DONATE Make a one off, regular or legacy donation to Flint house. Donate SIGN UP TODAY For the price of just a couple of cups of coffee per month Flint House will provide support and treatment. Sign up ADDRESS Flint House, Reading Road. Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG8 0LL CALL US 01491 874499 EMAIL US reception@policerehab.co.uk Map Satellite Keyboard shortcuts Map data ©2021 Google Terms of Use Report a map error Further information COVID Lottery Resources Testimonials Vacancies Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy Lottery Terms & Conditions Responsible Gambling Governance Governance Trustee Board Governance Resources Other services and trusts https://policecharitiesuk.org/charities-list/ https://www.thepolicetreatmentcentres.org https://www.stgeorgesharrogate.org https://www.ukcops.org https://www.nationalpolicememorialday.org https://www.gurneyfund.org https://www.nationalpolicefund.org.uk https://www.policedependantstrust.org.uk https://www.policememorial.org.uk © Copyright Flint House 2021 | Charity number: 1146913