News

Peter Bedford Housing Association is committed to working with the most vulnerable people in our community, an obligation which has taken on increased importance during the coronavirus outbreak. We have a key role to play, not only in preventing and ending homelessness, but in enriching the lives of our tenants and supporting them through this crisis. The pandemic has created specific challenges for many of the people we support, and one way that we have been able to meet these needs is through the establishment of a Food Deliveries Project.   Responding to the fact that many tenants were either having [...]

As many will now know it is with great sadness that we have taken the difficult decision to permanently close Outpost Shop and Gallery social enterprise on Holloway Road, after 20 successful years of trading and training. To our community of loyal customers, visitors, volunteers, retail trainees, artists, makers, supporters, partners, suppliers & staff past & present… We plan to create an Online Archive on our website as a lasting legacy that celebrates the many successes achieved over the 20 year history of Outpost social enterprise shop and gallery (formerly Bedfords). This platform will allow us to share our journey as the shop and gallery has [...]

It is with great sadness that Peter Bedford Housing Association (PBHA) has taken the difficult decision to close its social enterprise, Outpost Shop and Gallery on Holloway Road. After 20 successful years of trading in Islington, the housing association is focusing its work, resources and team on the emerging needs of socially excluded adults resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic. We are immensely proud that Outpost has successfully achieved its purpose and aims  providing inspiring learning opportunities and support for over 500 socially excluded adults, curating over 30 exhibitions and welcoming over 20,000 visitors in the last 5 years alone to the [...]

PBHA has proudly celebrated Pride for the past 22 years and this year is no different! Ordinarily, we throw a tenant-initiated festival to mark the occasion in our calendars. This summer, we could not get together in the same way, but that didn’t stop us from singing, dancing and laughing together on Zoom. Events were split over three days and included Fun & Games, Film Club and a Talent Show.   Highlights included: Pictionary (for the most rubbish drawing), an LGBTQ+ Quiz, Fifty years of Pride (short film), Guess the Song, and a Flamenco lesson!     Pride is an opportunity for [...]

We are very pleased to see a commitment to establishing a significant Building Safety Fund to remove unsafe materials from tall buildings. The broad commitment to remove “unsafe” materials is very welcome as this will remove some uncertainty where materials other than ACM pose a fire risk. Yet, how materials are removed from complex buildings which are not tall remains a question, as does whether there is any funding for interim remedial measures. The £500 million hardship fund for local councils to support the most vulnerable in their areas affected by COVID-19 is a very good idea, and we hope an [...]

Minister of State for the Department for Work and Pensions Will Quince visited our Hackney site at Kingsland Hub last week in a visit organised by Kate Henderson, CEO of the National Housing Federation. Will met participants of the Next Steps with Computers class and their tutor Richard Lackrage, and heard their experiences learning IT skills and their importance given that Universal Credit is claimed online. This was a good chance to show the government that we are helping the wider community, as well as our tenants, build skills for the future, as well as to claim welfare benefits. Ann, a [...]

Tenants and staff have been working on keeping our hubs safe, warm welcome spaces for mutual support.  Isledon hub has been needing a bit of TLC.  Tender Loving Care came in the form of a team of decorating apprentices from our External Decoration contractors Bell Group.   Big thanks to Rosanna, Janae, Connor and Tom who spent several days last week decorating Isledon.  It's looking great, thank you!