Friday 13^th October 2006 - Richard Carr-Gomm Visit

In the 1955 Richard Carr-Gomm, an officer with the Coldstream Guards, wanted to help the older residents of Bermondsey and convinced the council to accept his offer to work as an unpaid home help, cleaning council tenancies. Carr-Gomm soon discovered he was often the older residents’ only visitor and found they were always eager for conversation and to sit and share a cup of tea.
He came to the conclusion that their greater need was not help but simple companionship. He resigned his commission as a Major in the Army and used his gratuity of £250 as a deposit on a house which he invited four lonely older people to share with him.

He was dubbed the "Scrubbing Major" and his work became well known and local authorities and church groups invited him to promote his housing solution to a wide area. As public funds grew it became necessary to set up a charity and as Carr-Gomm and his associates met in Abbeyfield Road, they named their charity the Abbeyfield Society.
Fifty years on there are 560 Abbeyfield societies in the United Kingdom managing 900 Abbeyfield houses, providing accommodation for more than 8,500 people with support from thousands of volunteers.

In the early 70’s a group of voluntary social workers from Newcastle took an interest in the work of the Carr-Gomm society, they formed a steering group and then a management committee and in October 1973 Carr-Gomm (Tyneside) became a registered Industrial & Provident Society.  Carr-Gomm (Tyneside’s) first house opened in March 1974.

By December 1991 there were 51 bed spaces of supported accommodation for single homeless, isolated and vulnerable people.  It was at this point that after much deliberation, the decision was made to disaffiliate from the National Carr-Gomm Society and re-register as Byker Bridge Housing Association. A close relationship was maintained with the National Society and with Richard Carr-Gomm in particular.