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About us

The Abbeyfield Society is a National Charity which provides Registered Care and Sheltered Housing for older people.

The Abbeyfield Southend Society , as part of the National Movement, is a non-profit making Registered Charity which, in the spirit of its founder, is dedicated to making the lives of its Residents, comfortable, safe, dignified  and enjoyable whilst at the same time providing companionship and support to alleviate loneliness.

The Society has been providing accommodation for older people in the Southend Borough since 1964 and operates one Registered Care Home and four Sheltered Houses, all of which are run and managed by dedicated teams of paid staff and Volunteers.

The Society is governed by a Board of Trustees who provide their services on a voluntary basis and who have been selected for their particular skills and areas of expertise. The Board meets regularly to decide on policy, planning and finance and to set budgets and monitor expenditure.

The administration of the Society is provided by a central office which houses a General Manager, Support Manager, plus Finance staff and a Maintenance Team. All these staff are directly employed by the Society and are fully trained in their areas of responsibility.

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Richard Carr-Gomm – 1922-2008

The Abbeyfield Movement was founded in 1956 when a young Coldstream Guard by the name of Richard Carr-Gomm became concerned by the number of lonely older people he saw in Bermondsey in S.E. London. Richard immediately resigned his army commission and moved from Chelsea Barracks and became Britain's first male home-help.

During his visits as a home-help, Richard found that loneliness was one of the biggest challenges facing older people. This inspired Richard to spend his army gratuity on a house on Eugenia Road, in Bermondsey, and invite four lonely older people to join him. By Christmas 1956, Richard had become the very first Abbeyfield Housekeeper.

Today, there are over 8000 Residents  in Abbeyfield Houses across the UK and in 13 countries worldwide.