Bede House
serving the community since 1938
Bede House Association, 351 Southwark Park Road, Bermondsey SE16 2JW
Registered Charity No: 303199 Registered Company No. 420386
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President:
The Right Rev Christopher Chessum, The Lord Bishop of Southwark
Vice Presidents: Roger Harrison,
Sir Barry Wilson
Patron of Friends of Bede:
Barry Albin-Dyer
Bede Council of Management
(as at May,2011)
Chair: Prof. Clare Ungerson
Vice Chair: Julie Cotton
Treasurer: Andy Vallings
Secretary: Alison Dennis
Council Members:
Rev David Driscoll,
Caroline Knight,
Dave Morrison,
Katrina Ramsey,
Paul Lindsay,
Tina Stanley,
Andrew Sutton
Fr Mark Nicholls
Cooptees: Frances McClure,
Kate Davies,
John Stanley
Director: Nick Dunne
Who’s who at Bede
Bede House is a Charity which was established as a Settlement
in 1938 to work alongside poor families in Bermondsey and
Rotherhithe.
Bermondsey and Rotherhithe have some of the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the country. Bede's purpose is to be a focus for individual and community development in the area and to contribute to the pattern of social care in Southwark.
Today, over 2,200 different people use our services and facilities or take part in an activity through Bede each year - nearly 1% of the total population of Southwark.
Most people who come to Bede are involved regularly and we estimate they make around 17,700 attendances at sessions at Bede and at other locations in north Southwark each year.
Currently we provide services for:
- victims of Domestic Violence & LGBT Hate Crime
- adults with Learning Disabilities
- Young people
- Voluntary and community groups
Bede's vision is for people in Southwark, especially those who are disadvantaged, to have fulfilling, happy lives. Our vision is for people to feel that they have a valuable part to play in their community and that they can change their lives for the better.
Bede's purpose is to welcome local people seeking support and opportunities to overcome difficulties, have new fulfilling experiences and feel that they can play a positive part in their community.
Bede achieves this by
- Providing our own specialist services for adults with learning disabilities, victims of domestic violence and LGBT hate crime, and youth work programmes for young people aged 11 to 19,
- Having our own premises which are a focus for our work and a resource for the local community.
- Knowing about other specialist services and guiding local people to them when we cannot help ourselves
- Being open to changing needs in the local community and developing and adapting our services accordingly
- Providing practical support to individuals and local groups so that they can play their part in building positive local communities
- Reducing isolation and misunderstanding in the neighbourhood by helping local people of different backgrounds and circumstances to make contact with each other, find common ground and build stronger, more caring communities.
- Using our strong local roots in Bermondsey and Rotherhithe to serve the whole borough of Southwark, and to open up opportunities for local people in the wider world
- Working with other agencies, groups and individuals who share our Vision to achieve the best possible results for those we serve
- Working in ways that safe guards children and vulnerable adults and helps them fulfil their potential.
Bede is successful because
- We are an integral part of our local community, and have been working in Bermondsey and Rotherhithe since 1938
- We seek to make effective, positive relationships with those who need our help. We start by understanding where they are at this moment, perceiving their potential and hopes for the future, and being willing to be with them for the long term if that is what they need in order to succeed
- We often work with individuals who are very difficult to engage, either because their behaviour is challenging, or they are particularly isolated, and we can demonstrate the difference our help makes.
- We are confident in our skills and experience, and in our ability to make realistic commitments and to keep our promises
- We are an independent charity that is big enough to make a difference locally, but small enough to be efficient, flexible and in touch with what is needed.
- We believe that everyone, whatever the challenges they face, has the potential to make a positive contribution to the community. We also believe that, in benefiting the lives of others, our own lives become richer.
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