Our History
Peter Bedford Housing Association was originally established in the late 1960’s to work with ex-offenders and we were a pioneer of supported housing. We now work with a much wider range of socially excluded adults but the philosophy of self-help and mutual support that guided our early development still very much underpins our work and sense of community today.
Who was Peter Bedford?
Peter Bedford was an 18th century social reformer and Quaker philanthropist who lived and worked among the people of Spitalfields in East London to help people help themselves. We took his name to acknowledge the support we received from the Bedford Institute Association when we began. Although we no longer have formal Quaker links, we are proud of our origins. The values of respect, self-help, mutual support, and participation are as strong now as they were when we began.
Peter Bedford was born in 1780 to a Quaker family in Essex. His father, Isaac was a draper and farmer, he is described as a shopkeeper in the Essex QM Births Digest. His mother was Mary Bedford, Isaac’s second wife on their marriage in 1778. Mary is described as coming from Stebbing, Essex, daughter of Peter and Mary Smith of Felsted, Essex (Essex QM Marriages Digest). Peter was born on 26th July 1780 (Essex QM Births Digest). As a young man he met a London silk merchant, Joseph Allen, who took him on as his assistant, and he moved to Spitalfields. In 1808 Allen retired and handed on the business to PB and another assistant; and shortly thereafter PB became the sole proprietor. He remained so until he retired in 1836 when he moved to Croydon. He died in 1864 aged 84. He never married and had no children of his own.
At a Board meeting on 28 September 2024 the question was raised as to whether there were any ethical concerns relating to Peter Bedford, the late 18th/early 19th-century philanthropist after whom the Association is named. Examples were given of other philanthropists who had subsequently been found to have traded in or owned enslaved people.
The research carried out as a result of this can be found here.
1968
Michael Sorensen starts the ‘Peter Bedford Project’
While working as a prison welfare officer at Pentonville Prison, Michael Sorensen notices that many men ended up reoffending after they are released from jail. Unable to find work, they struggle to rebuild their self-respect. Michael took a leave of absence from the post to test out his thinking that led to Peter Bedford Project.
‘…Our stratagem was to approach people who had accepted others low estimate of their worth and had written themselves off as unemployable and unhelpable. Instead of offering them help we wished to see what would happen if we asked them to help us with work we had to do…’ (Michael Sorensen).
With funding from the Quaker Bedford Institute Association (Quaker Social Action), Sorensen set up one house with six male ex-offenders. Sorensen’s emphasis was on self-organisation: He relied on tenants to make the house rules, cook, clean and function as a community). The project provided the participants with work as cleaners for the Department for Social Security offices.
‘…it’s not my organisation, it’s yours…’ (Michael Sorensen)
1971
Peter Bedford Housing Association is set up to develop longer-term housing with government funding
Greater London Council offers the organisation a number of houses on Clissold Road for a peppercorn rent; the houses would otherwise have been demolished, as part of the North London slum clearances.
1972
Peter Bedford Housing Association sets up John Bellers Ltd...
....a trading company named after the Quaker reformer. The company provides work for tenants, servicing both external and internal cleaning contracts.
‘It is much more a charity to put the poor in a way to live by their own work, than to maintain them idle, as it would be to set a man’s broken leg, so that he might walk himself, rather than always carry him.’ (John Bellers)
1982
Legard Works purchased
1985
'Free from old tags’ published
A written history of the organisation from 1969-1985.
‘No neat answers or snappy slogans have emerged because day by day the trust has sought to understand and learn more about the immensely challenging issues that are revealed when schemes deal with real people
and not numbers on a board.’ (Timothy Cook, Chairman 1985)
2000
Bedfords shop opens
Our shop, called Bedfords, opens on the Holloway Road, Islington, providing opportunities for tenants to develop skills in retail and customer care.
2002
Stamford Works site opens in Dalston, Hackney
2007
Starbox Cafe launched
Launch of Starbox Cafe on Newington Green, in partnership with Islington Council and the Learning Disabilities Partnership. The café served fairtrade refreshments and provided work experience for people with learning difficulties.
2013
Bedfords re-launched as Outpost
Our shop is re-furbished and re-launched, now called Outpost, selling high quality products made by tenants and participants in our creative enterprises.
We refresh our mission and aims and establish a new forum for tenants and participants to contribute to the running of our services and the organisation.
2015
Move to Kingsland Hub
Legard Works is sold. PBHA leaves Stamford Works and moves to Kingsland Hub in Haggerston, Hackney, establishing a high quality learning centre and social enterprise coffee shop beside the main office.
Community hubs at Isledon Road and Clissold Road open bringing support services up close to tenants. We also move the joinery and textiles workshops to a new Workshop in Hoxton.
2016
The Coffee Shop opens
We open another Social Enterprise ‘The Coffee Shop’.
PBHA takes over a new high support mental health service in Islington.