the history of beacon lodge revised8

8/21/2019 The History of Beacon Lodge Revised8

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BEACON LODGE One Hundred Years of Care


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BEACON LODGE

One Hundred Years of Care


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Much help and information was given by Mr. Brian

McCarthy, Mrs. Peggy Bloome, the Hornsey Historical Society andthe Hornsey Journal. han!s also go to Brian McCarthy for proof"

reading, and to staff at #ntegrated Care for helping with the

production of the history.

he te$t was researched, compiled and written by

%uth &arnsworthy, Sheila 'heeler and (nn Jones, all trustees of Beacon )odge.

January *++

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THE HISTORY OF BEACON LODGE

(1) 1907 – 1939 RESCUE AND REFUGE

n /riday, (pril -0th, -0+, a group of local Church of

1ngland worthies met in the drawing room of the %ector of Hornsey,

the %ev. /.2. hic!nesse. hey were concerned by the numbers of young women who had left or been abandoned by their families and

were living in desperate circumstances of poverty and vice 3 no

welfare state in those days, and many were obliged to resort to

prostitution to feed themselves. o organise the rescue andrestoration of these shattered lives, a committee was set up consisting

of the Hornsey 4eanery vicars and rectors, together with a ladyrepresentative from each parish. /rom the start these ladies played an

active part in the new organisation, offering practical help and advice.

(mongst them from the beginning was Mrs. 1li5abeth Bradley, from

St. )u!e6s. She it was who suggested that their first step should be to

employ a lady %escue 'or!er to assess the e$tent of the problem, and

in July Miss 7ubler 8later !nown as Miss %idley 3 a less &ermanicname9: was appointed. (ll churches in the deanery were as!ed to

contribute ; to ;-+ a year towards costs< Miss 7ubler was to be

paid ;0+ per annum plus travelling e$penses.

Miss 7ubler lost no time in ma!ing contact with

women in need= in her first si$ months she made *-> visits and a

further ?* women contacted her. Some were sent to refuges at a costof five shillings a wee!, and some were sent to maternity homes. (t

the end of the first year, receipts amounted to ;-00 *s. lld. and

payments were ;-@ -+s. *d. #t soon became clear that premises

were needed where the women wanting to ma!e fresh start could be

safe while further arrangements were made for them. ( rented room proved a failure< in desperation Miss 7ubler was ta!ing girls bac! to

her own lodgings. (t last in January -0+0 the Committee found a

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house to rent 8;@> per annum: at -+0 ollington Par!, Stroud &reen.#t was big enough to house eight girls, with accommodation for Miss

7ubler 8whose salary was reduced to ;?>: and a room to be used as achapel. n the -?th (pril, -0+0, the house was dedicated and named

Beacon )odge.

/rom the start it was intended that girls would onlystay at Beacon )odge until arrangements were made for them to

move on. &irls felt to be at ris! were often sent to refuges or

AHouses of Mercy for up to a year, whilst Beacon )odge paid for

pregnant girls to go to maternity homes to have their babies, whowere usually either adopted or fostered. Some girls were offered

wor! as servants in the homes of wealthier local parishioners, a fewwent bac! to their families or got married. (nd three or four ran

away

he ladies of the committee wor!ed hard in their

parishes to raise funds for Beacon )odge, whose finances were

always precarious, especially after the appointment in -0-* of amuch"needed second wor!er to do the visiting. Parishes would hold

Pound 4ays, where people were encouraged to contribute either ;- in

cash or - lb. in weight of something useful, ranging from flour and

tea to coal and !nitting wool. he Pound 4ay in -0-@ raised ;**

and @-D lb. in !ind. here were constant reEuests from Beacon

)odge for gifts such as croc!ery and furniture. Secondhand clothes

were always needed Aif the things sent are Euiet and neat to !it outthe girls for their new lives. Boots and shoes were as!ed for,

Aespecially large ones 8: ( uniform was bought for a girl starting

nursing, and warm clothes were given to a girl leaving for Canada.

Sewing parties were organised by the ladies to ma!e clothes,

especially for the babies. (nd every year the Committee as!ed for donations of dripping

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/rom the beginning great emphasis was given to thegirls6 spiritual welfare. Beacon )odge had a chapel and a chaplain, a

member of the local clergy who came every wee! to ta!e servicesand teach the girls. Babies were baptised and many girls were

confirmed. nce a year a special service was held at one of the local

churches at which the President, usually the area Bishop, would

preach 3 and often berate congregations for their lac! of support

he outbrea! of war in -0-@ brought changes. he

number of girls who were pregnant rose sharply, and in many cases

fathers who were away fighting 8or !illed: no longer contributed totheir children6s !eep, so that Beacon )odge had to contribute in more

cases to the cost of fostering. Some girls who had found wor! asdressma!ers or milliners now lost their Fobs, though @ girls in -0-D

were found Fobs in munitions wor!, and one wor!ed on building

aeroplanes. he need for Beacon )odge was greater than ever, and

the staff of two dealt with --? girls in -0- alone.

ne big problem was that girls who had started newlives in the area still needed help, and for many Beacon )odge was

the only home they !new. Servants who lived in were freEuently

turned out when their employers went away on holiday, and others

came in on their days off, feeling isolated and lonely. hey were

never turned away. #n -0-@, **> e$tra meals were provided in the

space of two months. Some who went out to wor! paid to sleep at

Beacon )odge, but this left few beds for new cases. #t was felt,however, that Athe care of those who are striving to live victoriously

was a very important part of the wor!.

#n -0-0, Miss 7ubler resigned, worn out. 8Her

successor, Miss Smith Shand, also left because of ill"health in -0*@ 3 Beacon )odge has always demanded a great deal from its staff.:

here were other problems as well. he landlord of the property

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>

he St (gnes window in

the former chapel, a

memorial to Miss

%idley, Beacon )odge6sfirst superintendent.

he portrait of )t.

James Bradley, !illedin 'orld 'ar ne,

which hangs in the hall

at Beacon )odge. His

parents financed the

purchase of the premises in hismemory.


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intended to terminate the tenancy as soon as he could, and to sell thehouse. He was as!ing ;++ for it, a sum Euite beyond the means of

the (ssociation. #t loo!ed as if the wor! of Beacon )odge mightcome to an end.

1li5abeth Bradley had been one of the original

committee members and had continued to wor! for Beacon )odgeever since. #n -0*+ her husband, James Bradley, too! over the role of

reasurer, and he came up with an ingenious solution to Beacon

)odge6s financial problems. He and his wife were comfortably off

and sadly childless, their only son 8also James: having died of hiswounds Fust wee!s before the end of the war. He proposed to

finance the purchase of -+0 ollington Par! in e$change for anannuity of ;@> per annum to be paid to him andGor his wife by

Beacon )odge for the rest of their lives. (s the annual report put it=

A#t was with feelings of intense relief and gratitude that an offer was

accepted from an un!nown friend6 to provide the purchase money

for Beacon )odge I. 'hen it was found that the un!nown friend

was none other than Mr. James Bradley, who, with Mrs. Bradley, hasso long been a friend to the wor!I the discovery was greeted with a

spontaneous burst of applause, and the vote of than!s passed to Mr.

Bradley was an e$pression of a very real regard and appreciation.

he following year the staff was increased to three=

the Superintendent and two wor!ers, who spent many evenings

contacting girls thought to be at ris! in dangerous places such as par!s " and cinemas Most of Beacon )odge6s income came from

the local churches, with variable results. Some failed to meet the

reEuisite ;->, whilst others e$ceeded this. ne church instituted a

subscription of -d. a wee! and it was hoped that other churches

would do li!ewise. Money was beginning to come in from localauthorities such as the Magistrates in Highgate and the 1dmonton and

Barnet &uardians as the value of the rust6s wor! began to be !nown

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and appreciated. #t was felt that Beacon )odge needed to e$pand,and in -0* the ollington Par! house was sold and a larger house

purchased 8again with the financial assistance of Mr. Bradley: at 0Crouch 1nd Hill. his was named 2ewbeacon6 and the staff and

residents moved in.

#mmediately they ran into difficulties. #t wasdiscovered that the use of this house was restricted to educational

activities, and the local council ruled that Beacon )odge did not fall

into this category. (fter some months fighting this ruling, the rust

had to accept defeat and move out. hey were fortunate to find a buyer= Middlese$ County Council purchased the house, and

subseEuently built the Hornsey School of (rt there. /or a fewmonths the rust was homeless. he staff found a temporary flat

nearby, and with great difficulty they managed to find places in other

refuges and home for the girls and children in their care.

hen a suitable house was found some distance away

in /ortis &reen, Beechwood6. 2othing was settled this time until itwas established that there were no longer any restrictions on use.

he owner was !een to sell to the rust and paid for the necessary

legal wor! on this, and all went ahead despite a good deal of

opposition from some of the rust6s new neighbours. he ne$t hurdle

was obtaining approval from the Ministry of Health. his was given

on condition that e$tensive alterations were carried out to ma!e the

Kictorian building suitable for mothers and babies.( chapel was to be built, with a play area on its roof< a

superintendent6s room, another bathroom and a bottle room were to

be added, and the garage was to become a laundry. #n order to pay

for all this, it was decided to sell part of the e$tensive grounds facing

'estern %oad. Beacon )odge could now accommodate up to -Dgirls, who could stay long enough to be helped to adFust to their new

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#n June -0?+ a view day6 was held, to allow Beacon)odge6s supporters to see its new home. Some of them considered

that maybe it was too well furnished, and that less money shouldhave been spent 3 not realising that the furnishings had had to comply

with Ministry of Health standards. he report for that year ma!es

clear the rust6s attitude= A#t is not a bare minimum that must be

aimed at, but beauty and refinement. 'hen one considers the longhard struggle that the future holds for each and all who come to

Beacon )odge for help, it seems all the more necessary that those few

wee!s should be as bright and as happy as possible.

his positive and caring attitude towards Beacon

)odge6s residents seems to have been present from the start amongstthe staff and Committee, but was not always shared by the

congregations of the churches, who often preferred to ignore the

wor! of the rust. Bac! in -0-*, the annual report commented=

A7nown only to the few, helped only by the comparatively fewI the

wor! is done silently and without much observation. #n -0*0 the

Bishop of 7ensington denounced Athe hypocrisy of so"calledChristian people who will have nothing to do with %escue wor! and

obFect to the subFect being mentioned in public, who yet eagerly turn

to the latest news of the spiciest divorce case in the paper.

But it is also true that Beacon )odge has always had

devoted and hard"wor!ing volunteers from the surrounding churches,

who year after year have raised funds for the wor! and served on itscommittees. /rom -0@- committee members have carried out

regular inspections. #n -0?0 a Case Committee was set up to

consider how the girls contacted by the utdoor 'or!ers could be

helped. #t is not surprising that this was necessary because at that

time the utdoor 'or!ers covered a huge area in their wor! 3 thedistricts of /inchley, Potters Bar, South Mimms, part of Barnet,

Highgate, Muswell Hill, Hornsey, Crouch 1nd, Harringay, /riern


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Barnet and 2ew Southgate hat same year saw the first of theSummer /etes 8organised by the volunteers: which were to be

enFoyed in Beacon )odge6s lovely grounds for so many years.

ne good friend of Beacon )odge in the pre"war years

deserves a special mention, if only because he was a man Mr. /.&.

Pur!iss was an accountant who audited Beacon )odge6s accounts for many years. But he also served as the 'hite Cross #nvestigator for

over *+ years, starting in -0*-. his obscure title meant that he had

the unenviable tas! of trying to trace the fathers of the babies cared

for by Beacon )odge in order to get them to contribute towards thecost of this care. So successful was he that when he finally retired in

-0@- he had raised over ;@+++.

(n important element of Beacon )odge6s mother and

baby wor! was the arrangement of fostering for those girls who

wished to !eep their babies and yet had to go to wor!. /oster

mothers were not supervised by local authorities then, and some were

ill"fitted for the tas!. #t was felt that they needed support, and so in-0@- the /oster Mothers6 /ellowship was formed, with ?+ members,

so they could meet and tal! over their problems. he /ellowship

was disbanded later in the war, but re"started in -0@> for another two

years.

(2) 1939 – 1950 WAR AND POST-WAR

he outbrea! of the Second 'orld 'ar brought new

challenges. (t first, in -0?0, it was considered too dangerous for

babies to be at Beacon )odge, and all the mothers and children wereevacuated to the country. However, the need for a mother and baby

home in )ondon was seen to be so great that Beacon )odge was

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almost immediately opened again and Euic!ly filled up with a newinta!e. 8#n fact as many girls had to be turned away as were

admitted.: he cellars were reinforced and fitted out as air raidshelters 3 and freEuently used, often for wee!s at a time. 8Some of

the bun!s are still in place in the cellars: he staff reported that

most of the girls faced the situation with calmness and courage, but a

few showed signs of nervous strain and had to leave early. he housegot off comparatively lightly, with some bro!en windows but no

maFor damage, however it was a very stressful time, especially for the

staff.

Many of the girls had been serving in the forces, and it

was noted that a good many of the fathers were (merican. #t wasalso reported that many of the girls were themselves from bro!en

homes or institutions. 'artime conditions also meant a big increase

in the utdoor 'or!er6s caseload= in -0@+ she dealt with 0+ cases, in

-0@> she handled -D.

(t last the war ended. Many of the girls and staff were outside Buc!ingham Palace for the KJ 4ay celebrations. he

windows had been repaired, but walls and ceilings remained crac!ed

from bomb damage. Curtains needed replacing, but there were no

coupons6 available for this. he house was beginning to loo! its

age.

4uring the war, the nature of Beacon )odge6s wor! had changed. So many young unmarried girls needed to come to

have their babies that it was decided that Beacon )odge should no

longer shelter those girls who needed rescuing6 from a life of crime

and vice, although these would still be helped by the utdoor 'or!er.

#nstead, Beacon )odge was designated a Mother and Baby Home in-0@-. he new superintendent, Miss /ran!, was a Eualified midwife

who was !een that the babies should be born at the Home. 2othing

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could be done about this until after the war, and in -0@ Miss /ran! left to go to a home where the babies were delivered on the premises.

-0@ was a difficult year all round, with the severe winter bringing itsown problems= the front gate was snowed up and out of use for si$

wee!s, while burst pipes turned the laundry room into a s!ating rin!

several times. However, staff and committee pressed on with plans

to turn Beacon )odge into a maternity home, although this too! someyears. (fter alterations to the building to create a )abour 'ard and a

)ying"in 'ard 8and completing the repairs needed when dry rot was

discovered by the builders:, the first babies were delivered in -0>+,

under the supervision of Miss /ran!, who had returned in -0@0,together with her friend Sister Hale.

2ew eEuipment had been bought, and from (pril Miss

/ran! was pleased to list the advantages of having confinements

under Beacon )odge6s roof. Her report stated that because the

mother"to"be got to !now her midwife before the birth too! place, she

developed confidence in her. hus natural fears could be allayed and

afterwards the new mother would settle down happily to feed andcare for her baby. Miss /ran! was happy that A#n none of the

twenty"five cases had it been necessary to resort to bottle"feeding

before the baby was at least a month oldI. Communicant mothers

could have their Communion brought to them in the ward during the

lying"in period. he changeover to a maternity home was Aproving

its worth in every way.

(3) 1950 – 1970 THE MATERNTY HOME

#n the post"war years, it became increasingly difficultto find foster mothers for those girls wishing to !eep their babies, and

the utdoor 'or!er noted in -0@D that Ait is impossible to get

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accommodation for a mother and baby outside her own home, or aresidential domestic post. (s a result, more and more of them were

obliged to give up their children for adoption, a situation whichdistressed the Beacon )odge staff very much. he utdoor 'or!er

continued, A( mother has no alternative, if she cannot return home

with the baby, but to part with her, or him, much against her will, and

# have had many of the girls weep bitterly at having to do so.8#nterestingly, she reported that one of the adoptive mothers that year

had herself had a baby at Beacon )odge at ->, which she had been

able to !eep.:

f course, sometimes a young mother6s family would

be so ashamed of their daughter6s Afall from grace that they wouldnot countenance her returning home unless her baby was adopted.

'hen the day came for the baby to be handed over to its new

Aparents it must have been very harrowing and emotional for all

concerned. o prevent Ascenes it was customary for the mother to

bathe, feed and dress her baby and hand him or her over to a member

of staff on the staircase landing. here are those today who feel thatan aura of sadness persists in this place on the stairs. Some moving

accounts from previous residents can be read at the end of this

history. ( present committee"member remembers her mother 8who

was on the committee in -0>-: coming home full of sadness after

ta!ing a baby to be adopted. But we can imagine too, the Foy of the

adopters eagerly accepting the chance to become parents. Beacon

)odge has received visits from many people who, in later life,discovered they were born there.

he traditional fund"raising events continued during

the -0>+6s, and the (nnual /ete in the grounds continued to be

opened by a succession of notable people= television personality(nnette Mills in -0>-, 4ora Bryan in -0D+, Margaret hatcher in

-0D?, Sheila Hancoc! in -0@, and a number of aristocratic ladies in

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other years. he Pound 4ays continued and donations came in fromlocal people, charities and businesses. Some churches in the

4eanery, though not all, continued to give money from their collections and to supply representatives to sit on the committee.

)ocal churches and schools would send gifts from their Harvest

/estivals 8still carried on today by one or two:. #n appreciation of

the harvest gifts Miss /ran! wrote in her annual report, A'e have ane$cellent recipe for marrow pic!le, so do not mind how many

marrows are given to us.8: Baby clothes, cots and prams were

always gratefully received. ( list of other gifts at this time included

cushions, !itchen utensils, fruit and flowers, a settee, a bed, anarmchair, two mangles, a gas boiler, bundles of maga5ines, a bo$ of

elastic and baby ribbon, a large consignment of new novels from asubscriber to Ahe Boo! Club and hand"!nitted vests.

he chapel was regularly used for the celebration of

Holy Communion, and staff were often Foined by girls for the service,

also one evening service per wee! was instituted. he importance at

that time of maintaining a visible Christian witness was e$pressed bya distinguished visitor who came to open a new building e$tension.

Her name was Princess Marie )ouise, a grand"daughter of Lueen

Kictoria. )ocal paper Ahe Hornsey Journal, reporting on her visit

to Beacon )odge on ?rd 4ecember, -0>>, described her as being in

her ?rd year, and summed up her speech to guests as follows=

A7indness, sympathy and love were the means by which young,

bro!en lives could be put together again. he 'elfare State did agreat deal of good wor! but lac!ed that personal touch which was to

be found in Homes such as Beacon )odge. #t was the spiritual and

personal guidance which ensured a new start in life for these young

mothers. he Princess concluded, A# feel it a great privilege to have

been as!ed to open this e$tension and # hope that &od6s richest blessing will rest upon the wor! of this home and upon all those who

do their best to bring these young women bac! to a new life. he

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Bishop of 'illesden replied that, Ane could be assured that the newe$tension was on sure foundations, for it had been built directly

above the Home6s chapel.

he building e$tension, which had ta!en nearly two

years to complete, included a new dormitory, bathroom and staff

bedroom, plus a fire escape. he total cost was ;*,++, of which;-,@0+ had been raised at the time of opening. (n appeal for money

from business houses in the 4eanery did not even pay for the cost of

the circular letters sent out. he reasurer lamented having to sell the

;?++"worth of 4efence Bonds which left the rust with only oneinvestment, namely ;-,+++ of three"and"a"half per cent 'ar Stoc!, at

that time worth only ;> -+s. he sale of a piece of the !itchengarden raised ;>+ and a grant from a charity provided another ;*>+.

#t has not been possible to find out how long it too! to raise the

remaining ;-,?-+. 'e do !now that in -0>@ the cost per girl per

wee! was ;@ -+s. ?d., and that staff salaries were raised Aa little, but

far below what would be paid for similar wor! in a State Controlled

Home. (t this time, the 1ditor of Ahe Hornsey Journal, Mr.'hite, was considered a friend to Beacon )odge, no doubt for his

willingness to give publicity to events when reEuired.

nfortunately for would"be historians, there is very

little recorded 8that has so far been discovered: about the ne$t ten

years. Perhaps we can assume that it was a fairly settled time with

number ?> 1astern %oad in the capable hands of Miss &eraldine/ran! and her helper and friend, Sister Hale. 'e !now that ld

&irls6 parties were held, and letters received show how happy the

young mothers were to return to see them and to e$press their than!s

for the help they had received. ne said, A# e$pect there are Fust as

many girls at Beacon )odge. #f they are as grateful to you all as # amand # am sure many others, then they are very grateful. # !now we

didn6t show it at the time, but it isn6t until afterwards that we realise

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->

Sister Hale with one of the

babies delivered at Beacon

)odge.

he beautiful garden in the

fifties, a peaceful place for

a nap


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-D

-0>6s garden party, which raised ;-D+ for Beacon )odge.

/un at the *++D garden party.


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Fust what you are doing for us. (nother wrote, Ahan! you andSister for ma!ing my stay at Beacon )odge such a happy one. # shall

never forget it and always remember it with happiness. )oo!ingforward to seeing you all at 1aster.

#n -0D? Mrs. Margaret hatcher was the M.P. for

/inchley and /riern Barnet 8she became Prime Minister in -00:.She visited Beacon )odge to open the (nnual &arden Party in May,

an event which raised ;?*>. #n her speech she said, A#t is our Fob to

help and not sit in Fudgement. here is never any point in saying, #f

only things had been different.6 'e must try to loo! forward andgive people as much help as possible. People freEuently pass

Fudgement before the baby is born, but after the birth the family isoften reconciled. #t is our Fob to help those mothers and babies with

!indness and firmness.

Her words were apt and relevant to the practical

approach ta!en by those connected with Beacon )odge, not least with

regard to the wor! of Miss /ran! and Sister Hale. /ive years later these ladies retired, and they were than!ed by the rust Chairman,

%evd. Philip Brassel, for their unselfish and devoted wor! of many

years. 4uring their final year, -0D, >+ babies were born under their

care and the year also mar!ed the -,+++ th delivery at Beacon )odge.

#t is not surprising that the %evd. Brassel was moved to write, Ahe

care, sympathy and guidance, to say nothing of the worries, the crises

and the tensions, with which the lives of these children have beensurrounded, and the prayers and self"sacrifices which have adorned

their coming, ma!e this figure one in which we all feel a Fustifiable

pride in the wor! of our home.

(lthough ostensibly procedures continued in a similar way at Beacon )odge for the ne$t couple of years, the departure of

Miss /ran! could be described as the end of a chapter with regard to

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the needs of those who arrived there see!ing help. Ahe Hornsey4eanery (ssociation for Preventive and %escue 'or! had become

Ahe Hornsey 4eanery rust for Moral 'elfare in -0>. Changesto the )ondon Boroughs in -0D> resulted in the formation of the

much larger Borough of Haringey. he Hornsey 4eanery was

divided between the Boroughs of Haringey and Barnet, and the name

of the (ssociation became simply Ahe Beacon )odge rust. 'iththis new name Beacon )odge faced the wind of change that began to

blow over Britain.

(4) 1970 – 1994 STORMY WEATHER

he social changes during the late -0D+6s and the

-0+6s had their effects upon Beacon )odge. 'hat was called Ahe

Permissive Society embraced increasing use of the contraceptive

pill, legalised abortion and rela$ation of censorship. #t made some

people Euestion the need for AMoral 'elfare 'or! as it had beencalled. But in -0+, the Chairman of Beacon )odge Committee, the

%ev. Philip Brassel, wrote, AClearly the character of the wor! is

varying and the needs it meets are changing in their demand. (dvice,

support, guidance and the ability to care all belong to 'elcare wor!.

he Chaplain, Charles 4unbar, added, A'ith all these changes it

might be thought that the need for Beacon )odge 3 and the need for a

Chaplain 3 had ceased= yet Beacon )odge still supplies a real needand young people still see! spiritual reality.

(s time went on, the State and )ocal (uthorities

became more involved in welfare wor!. (ddressing Beacon )odge

(.&.M. in -0? the Bishop of 1dmonton said, Aogether Church andState can achieve much, and by -00 he was remar!ing that the aim

of social wor! in the Church should be sharing and wor!ing

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alongside others rather than patronising. #n -0+ the )ocal(uthority was contributing to Beacon )odge funds because it had

become responsible for the care of the unmarried mother. (t thesame time Beacon )odge was affiliated to the )ondon 4iocesan

Council for 'elfare, he 2ational Council for the nmarried Mother

and her Child and it was A#n union with the Church Moral (id

(ssociation. By -0+ a financial Euota was being received fromHaringey Council and Beacon )odge was represented on the

4iocesan Board for Social %esponsibility by the %ev. (lan 'hite.

hus the co"operation between Church and State developed in

response to significant social change.

his decade, the -0+6s, showed remar!able change atBeacon )odge in many other ways. #n -0- the Home had a Matron,

(ssistant Matron and Sister, all Eualified midwives. f

admissions only > were post"natal. here were @@ deliveries of

babies at Beacon )odge, * in hospital and ? at the (le$andra

Maternity Home. *0 of the babies were adopted, > went to

temporary foster mothers, ?- went home with their mothers, *accompanied their mothers to residential wor! placings, @ to hostel or

flatlet schemes and - baby died in hospital. nly * years later there

were - post"natal cases, only babies delivered at Beacon )odge

and @0 at the City of )ondon Maternity Hospital. hat mar!ed the

end of births and the need to employ midwives at Beacon )odge, and

in -0 it was de"registered as a nursing home and became a mother

and baby hostel. hat year, momentously, all mothers !ept their babies and none were adopted.

he problems of those admitted to Beacon )odge were

also different from before. 1arly in the decade Matron Barbara

Clar! reported that Ahe girls of today are not so easy to deal with asthey were a few years ago= their attitudes to life and situations have

completely changed. )ater she commented on bro!en homes and

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discord. A&irls often find their boyfriend is the first person to ta!ean interest in themI #t is little wonder that they become pregnant<

they are afraid of losing him, although this often follows when they become pregnant. Philip Brassel felt that the changing pattern of

society would cause fundamental changes to the way in which

Beacon )odge wor!ed 3 so many of the Apersonality problems and

Aspecial difficulties of the residents Abeing engenderedI by thecurrent lac! of a stable order in our society.

Beacon )odge staff at the time responded to the new

challenges in various ways. hey ran a shop6 in -0* selling thingsto the mothers at reduced prices, and were able from the proceeds to

buy things needed for the home. %ela$ation classes and teaching on pregnancy, labour, K4 and drugs were started, also crochet and

!nitting classes. he latter afforded chances for informal discussion

about choices in life and help with residents6 individual problems. (

school teacher attended twice wee!ly. 4isturbed girls might be

receiving help from child guidance counsellors or psychiatrists. he

staff were very heartened by the number of girls who wrote ingratitude for the care and help they received while in Beacon )odge.

Some e$amples from -0? include=

8a: ( -> year old who had been attac!ed and raped wrote, Ahis

is Fust a note to than! you for helping me through these wee!s. o be able to share a problem no matter how big or small 3 # hope that

you will all be helping girls in the same situation as me for manyyears to come and that they will continue to appreciate your help and

!indness as # have done.

8b: ( *+ year old (frican student= Ahan! you for ta!ing goodcare of me and my baby. &od bless you all.

8c: ( one"time drop out and drug addict= A# really enFoyed my

stay 8as far as one can:, there was such a feeling of companionship

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amongst the girls and it really helped to have someone to share my problems with.

Sandra 4owling, who was Matron in -00, reported

that girls were staying longer, some for nearly a year. She said that,

as many girls came from e$tremely deprived bac!grounds or various

institutions, arriving at Beacon )odge confused and often very anti"authority, the aim must be to provide a home that gives love and

attention. Aften the girls were only too eager to respond when they

realised that someone really did care.

( fund"raising plea in the -0 (nnual %eport also

as!ed readers to pray for often very sad cases at Beacon )odge, someof which are described in the yearly summaries which were very

comprehensive at that time. #t became customary to print one or two

case"histories each year so that church members who read them had

some idea of problems faced.

hese (nnual %eports also reveal to the reader somevery interesting facts about the financial changes which too! place

during the -0+6s. #n -0*, Beacon )odge e$penditure was Fust on

;->,+++. 1ach mother cost the home ;*? per wee!. ( house in

Par! Hall %oad, 1ast /inchley, was purchased to be converted to two

flats for residential staff at a cost of ;,>++. Beacon )odge itself

was valued at ;->,+++, yet only two years later, in -0@, its value

had risen to ;?+,+++ By -00, e$penditure for the Home amountedto ;?,@+, while only a year later high inflation caused a Fump in

this figure to ;>+,+++. hus, the decade of the -0+6s began with

further worries about finance.

( deficit of ;-*,+++ for the year -0+"- was in partdue to a decrease in the number of girls admitted to Beacon )odge.

he Chairman, /ather heo Cunningham"Burleigh, Kicar of (ll

*-


24/50

Saints 1ast /inchley, wrote= A'hereas in the past we were able to beselective and admit only those girls we felt ourselves capable of

dealing with, the present financial stringency has meant that councilsare now only offering places for girls with more serious problems,

resulting in a drop in income and a call upon additional help which

has increased our e$penditure. 4elays in payment of maintenance

grants caused cash"flow problems that year. Net, by -0?"@ thereasurer, )ionel Mayhew, was reporting a surplus of ;-+,>++ due to

8a: economic improvements in running costs made by the

Superintendent Mrs. %eid, 8b: fee increases paid promptly by

Haringey Council and 8c: increased use of Beacon )odge made bythe )ondon Boroughs 8(lso, in no small measure than!s to the

reasurer himself.: his financial roller"coaster effect continued intothe -00+6s, when Beacon )odge was almost derailed 3 but there are

other events in the -0+6s to consider first.

'ith the appointment of Mrs. %eid as Superintendent

in -0*, Beacon )odge entered a -+"year period of stability and

efficiency in its day"to"day running, set alongside the e$traordinaryeffects of national high inflation. Mrs. %eid originally occupied the

top flat in D- Par! Hall %oad, but soon moved elsewhere. he

decision to sell the Par! Hall %oad house because it had become a

financial burden, meant that the proceeds could fund e$tensive re"

decoration, repairs and improvements to the 1astern %oad site of

Beacon )odge in -0D. he garage was re"roofed, there were repairs

to the bungalow in the grounds 8previously used by Barnet 'elcareuntil -0?: and a reserve fund was set up to provide for future

maintenance costs. he house had a A2ew )oo!. Several garden

areas were cleared of scrub and weeds, vegetable growing

commenced and produce used for meals. Staff salaries were

increased and Mrs. %eid reported, ABeacon )odge now has a fullcomplement of full"time care staff who wor! as a team covering *@

hours a day, seven days a wee! on a shift rota system. (t long last,

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during my term of office, # feel we give a service that is promised atthe girls6 initial interview.

4uring the mid"eighties the Boroughs often as!ed

Beacon )odge to assess residents6 mothering capabilities, which in

turn resulted in more detailed involvement with Social 'or!ers and

medical personnel. 8his process has shaped today6s function of Beacon )odge.:

#n -0 a decision was made Aof great significance to

Beacon )odge in the words of the then Secretary, John Muir 8whoseservice to Beacon )odge was very great:. he rusteeship of the

Beacon )odge rust was widened to include the )ondon 4iocesanBoard for Social %esponsibility, and from (pril -st all the staff

became employees of the )4BS%. he composition of the

Management Committee changed to include two representatives from

that body. 2ew duties of the altered committee were to engage staff

and to appoint more committee members 8up to -+ in total:. his

change had far"reaching effects. he then Chairman Mrs. Betty(c!royd held a meeting of parish representatives from the *>

churches in the two 4eaneries 8'est Haringey and Central Barnet:

specifically to e$plain the new arrangements. She invited them to

become A/riends of Beacon )odge and attend

two meetings a year, but despite this parish lin!s were loosened and

lost. Her hope that people could thus !eep their interest in Beacon

)odge and continue to raise funds for the wor! disappointinglyresulted in a narrowing of the number of people who were even

aware of Beacon )odge6s e$istence.

he deeds of Beacon )odge had been withdrawn from

the ban! in -0*, and despite intensive searches were never found 3 new ones had to be drawn up in -00*. 'ith regard to the valuation

of the property, which had been estimated at ;?+,+++ in -0?, in

*?


26/50

-0 the new figure was ;?++,+++. /rom this date fees for residentswere raised to ;*+ per wee!, in -00+ they were ;?>+ p.w. and by

-00- were ;@*D p.w. he rapidity of these rises reflected the rate of inflation nationally. Because boroughs were slow to pay and were

using B and B6s for economy instead of properly eEuipped Beacon

)odge, an 1mergency %escue Pac!age was proposed= a reduction in

salaries and non"recruitment of new staff. his did happen and itwas reported that staff Agave their all. However, naturally people

became tired and stressed. Mrs. %eid was wor!ing three out of four

wee!"ends in spite of the fact that a 4eputy Superintendent had been

appointed in -00+ because of increasing and non"avoidable paperwor!. Pressures on every front had made Mrs. %eid as! that

her staff should be called AProFect 'or!ers not ACare (ssistants because they were called upon to be Amothers, counsellors, advisers,

problem solvers and many other things too numerous to mention, as

well as giving support and practical help with the babies. %esidents

were accepted from a wider area than the )ondon Boroughs, but e$tra

wor!ers could not be employed because the )4BS% was itself

e$periencing financial difficulties. Praise for her hard"wor!ing andloyal staff was often e$pressed in reports to the Committee by Mrs.

%eid. 'hen she herself retired in September -00? gratitude for her

e$cellent wor! and the presentation to her of a cheEue and card was

recorded in the Minutes.

he news that Mrs. %eid6s successor was to be a man,

Mr. John /arrow, caused consternation and controversy. He wasappreciative of the fact that his appointment to Beacon )odge

Ashowed evidence of eEual opportunities, but his service in the post

only lasted si$ months and he was not replaced. he Home was then

run by his 4eputy with support from a %esidential ProFects Manager

from C(%#S. 8C(%#S was the new name for the )4BS%.: (t thistime a grant of ;@-,+++ from the BBC AChildren in 2eed to pay for

e$tra staffing was gratefully received, and a Home utor for girls of

*@


27/50

school age was paid for by Haringey Council. Committee memberswere as!ed to describe A'hat Beacon )odge is here for and the

following description resulted=

ABeacon )odge is motivated by Christian principles to

provide a warm caring home environment, which will give support to

women at a vulnerable time of pregnancy and early motherhood, toenable them to nurture their children with !nowledge and confidence,

with the support of trained and understanding members of staff.

( BBC elevision series about people coping withdifficulties in their lives resulted in a film about a young man who

discovered that he had been born at Beacon )odge. /ilming too! place at the house in 2ovember -00?, and perhaps this was a

welcome counterbalance to the disagreeable news that financial

difficulties appeared to be ma!ing Beacon )odge a non"viable place

to run. ( wor!ing group was set up, with Mr. Brian McCarthy as

Beacon )odge6s representative, to report bac! to C(%#S about

wor!able options for the future. ( professional person, Janet)indsay &erman, was recruited to assess the situation. Her

conclusions were discussed at the -00@ January meeting of Beacon

)odge Committee, and it was made clear that C(%#S was

considering the future of all five of its hostels. ConseEuently, after

much discussion, it was reluctantly agreed that Beacon )odge should

close temporarily from ?-st March -00@.

However, at this sad prospect for Beacon )odge, a

dramatic event occurred.

( possible new and e$citing future was outlined at the

ne$t meeting convened in (ll Saints Kicarage and hosted by /ather Paul, the Beacon )odge Chaplain. Mrs. (c!royd was in the chair

but handed over the conduct of the meeting to Mr. McCarthy. He

*>


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revealed that a professional group, A#ntegrated Care, had wished to place a young woman in Beacon )odge, and through this, their

Manager Chris /aithfull had discovered the impending closure. Mr./aithfull contacted Mr. McCarthy within five days and he and Mr.

7en Hamilton of #ntegrated Care attended the meeting with an offer

to ta!e over the running of Beacon )odge hey both described

their bac!ground of providing services which included the running of two other mother and baby homes. hey described their commitment

to provide continuity of care and their hopes to bring Beacon )odge

towards %egistration if they were accepted as managers. he

Committee as!ed both C(%#S and #ntegrated Care to send in writingtheir proposed scenario for the future of Beacon )odge. hese

would be scrutinised at the meeting three wee!s later in March. (tthis meeting, the Committee made a unanimous decision to transfer

management of Beacon )odge to #ntegrated Care, and after C(%#S

had relinEuished their responsibilities, this was realised on -st (pril,

-00@.

(5) 1994 – 2007 PARTNERSHP

#ntegrated Care too! over a demoralised wor!force, a

building in need of repair and an organisation that had been teetering

on the brin! of closure. he ever"loyal staff had been under notice

of redundancy for some months, while the financial reserves hadalmost run down to nothing. 'ithin a very short space of time

everything had been transformed. 2ew clients were miraculously

found, new staff ta!en on, a new manager was appointed and Beacon

)odge began to regain its old reputation.

(fter the momentous but unanimous decision of the

Management Committee of the Beacon )odge rust to go into

*D


29/50

partnership with a Company 3 a wholly new situation 3 it wasrewarding for the members to see the improvements ta!ing place in

every field. Brian McCarthy, who had replaced Mrs. Betty (c!roydas Chairman, reported to the th (nnual &eneral Meeting that

#ntegrated Care had ensured that old and new staff of Beacon )odge

had welded into a very successful team. Management, led by Ms.

7ea Byer, was strong and effective, reserves had been rebuilt andrefurbishment to the highest possible standards was in train. He

than!ed 7en Hamilton and his colleagues at #ntegrated Care, and

optimistically predicted the future to be the restoration of Beacon

)odge to leadership in the field of mother and baby care.

his optimism was not misplaced. However, the plans to completely refurbish the building in -00> were hampered by

difficulties over the first targets for improvement, the bedrooms.

'or! could only be carried out when the rooms were unoccupied, so

it was necessary to restrict inta!e. his, combined with a downturn

of interest by local authorities in using Beacon )odge, meant that

numbers fell dangerously and building wor! had to wait. Net, after Christmas the trends reversed, Beacon )odge was fully occupied and

financially secure again, so wor! recommenced, albeit more slowly.

(t the annual /ete in July, a barbecue lunch was an innovation which

resulted in a profit of over ;-,+++, earmar!ed for a holiday trip to

Butlins for mothers and babies. #t would have been a welcome relief

from the ongoing building wor!

Since the leaders of #ntegrated Care had previously

wor!ed for local authorities themselves, they were fully aware of the

services which Beacon )odge needed to provide in order to !eep the

number of referrals high from those same authorities. #t was a new

concept however for the Management Committee to regard localauthorities as Acustomers. #n a competitive world the need for

Amar!eting the strengths of Beacon )odge as a place of e$cellence

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became apparent. (nother difference in outloo! was reEuired, tounderstand that the Aclientele 8the women reEuiring refuge: had

many more problems than previously, which could affect their abilityto function as good mothers. herefore assessment of their

capabilities had to be included while they were residents of the

Home. Much more paperwor! was reEuired from the staff and

appearances at Court were often necessary. he level and variety of s!ills needed to cope with the more difficult cases coming to Beacon

)odge meant that fees had to rise accordingly. #t became obvious

too that the financial situation could go from healthy6 to unhealthy6

or vice versa very Euic!ly, in direct proportion to the number of placements6 by the authorities choosing to use Beacon )odge.

4uring -00 the Home was virtually full, levels of

care were again enhanced and more staff appointed. Half the rooms

had been improved and wor! began on a new laundry. By -000

wor! had been completed on the !itchen and dining room, and these

were much admired by visitors as well as the residents. (gain, a

downturn in the number of placements brought financial worries because the average number of occupants had fallen to only si$

mothers and their babies. But the level of service provided was

never allowed to fall despite the lower income. Sadly, a few children

had to be ta!en into care during -000, not the Ahappy ending which

is always striven for at Beacon )odge.

4uring the latter part of the year strong mar!eting anda sound reputation raised the number of placements again to full

capacity, enabling reserves to be rebuilt and further refurbishment to

ta!e place. 2aturally, warm than!s were e$pressed at the (.&.M. in

the year *+++ for the si$ years of incredibly hard wor! by Manager

7ea Byer, who was moving from Beacon )odge to another positionwith #ntegrated Care. Her place was ta!en by her deputy, Mairead

6Sullivan. #n his report, the Chairman mentioned the death of Miss

*


31/50

4aphne Jen!ins, who had retired the previous year after *+ years6service as Minutes Secretary. Many members attended her funeral

!nowing they would miss her Adown"to"earth practicality and faithand described her as Aa lovely lady. 2e$t, Mr. McCarthy described

the dedicated voluntary wor! done by the rustees 8Committee

Members:, and he went on to emphasise how the relationship

between the Committee and #ntegrated Care had prospered as co"operation was cemented.

So, at the turn of the century, Beacon )odge was

loo!ing to the future, and to its Centenary in *++, with confidence.

(s mentioned before, the number of placements atBeacon )odge, i.e. the level of occupancy, is vital to the financial

well"being of the rust. 7eeping a high level of occupancy means

ensuring the good reputation of the Home and maintaining a high

profile to those who are li!ely to use its services and e$pertise. #n

May *+++, a malicious anonymous complaint was made to Haringey

Council about Beacon )odge. (n inspection and enEuiry, with thefull co"operation of the staff, found the allegation to be without

foundation. However, the inspection did identify some

improvements to the accommodation which were needed. hese had

already been earmar!ed, but wor! was accelerated and a complete

new roof also put in place. #t was not so easy to restore confidence in

Beacon )odge as a place of e$cellence. 4uring *++-, hard wor! was

reEuired from staff at #ntegrated Care, while those at the Home wereonce again coping during ongoing building wor! and trying to

rebuild their own morale.

(fter the promotion of &raham 4ow, Bishop of

'illesden, to 4urham, the Committee decided to as! the %ight %evd.Peter 'heatley to be their Honorary President. 8(s Bishop of

1dmonton he is head of the area in which Beacon )odge lies.: He

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visited Beacon )odge in *++-, has continued to do so with supportand concern, and will ta!e part in the Centenary celebrations in *++.

#n *++*, Brian McCarthy reported a relatively Euiet

year. He commented that the maFor wor! 3 assessing the capabilities

of mothers 3 had continued steadily. he significant trend that

emerged was that of the growing comple$ity of problems which thenew mothers brought with them. Staff had to deal with drug, alcohol

and mental health cases, all of which were time"consuming, difficult

to handle and reEuired special s!ills. 4ue to publicity about child

abuse cases nationally, there was a dearth of Social 'or!ers in thefield of child protection. Staff recruitment became very difficult,

especially in )ondon. Beacon )odge was affected by these outsideinfluences, but Mairead 6Sullivan and her staff coped, with

customary dedication, despite the burden of increasingly comple$

caseloads.

#t was of concern to the Committee that there seemed

to be little time to help some young mothers acEuire sorely"neededlife s!ills. ne member, Mrs. Judith /il!in, gave valuable voluntary

teaching help for some time. 2o"one wanted Beacon )odge to be

Fust a place where women and girls resided until their maternal

abilities could be assessed. Could Beacon )odge give more support

to those who through immaturity or adverse circumstances were ill"

fitted to manage their lives after they left9

'hen Jan Christie was appointed Manager in (ugust

*++* her wealth of e$perience was immediately drawn upon to build

teamwor! and to get Beacon )odge registered by the 2ational Care

Standards Commission 8now called the Commission for Social Care

#nspection:. his involved an enormous amount of paperwor! and planning, followed by a Pre"%egistration inspection which was very

stringent and lasted three days. 'hen the report was received,

?+


33/50

Beacon )odge was shown to be e$emplary. he %egistrationCertificate was issued in July *++@. he wait for this caused

placement difficulties yet again 3 low occupancy, financial loss.4espite this, many of the building proFects which had been planned

from the beginning of the new century, were now completed. hese

included refurbishment of offices, meeting room and entrance hall,

new windows and frames throughout the building, a buggy store atthe bac! of the house, a proper car par!, the re"decoration of the

bungalow and measures to increase security. #t is hoped the

bungalow will become a Supervised (ccess Centre.

he Charity Commission, which inspected Beacon

)odge in *++?, commended it for Aoperating properly within the )awand using good practice. ( further feather in the cap6 for Jan

Christie and her staff is the designation of Beacon )odge as an

approved educational centre for 2KLs. Best of all is a system now in

place which addresses the Euestion of life s!ills. (lthough )ocal

(uthorities do not pay specifically for this education, those who are

sent to Beacon )odge are assessed, and accorded Alevels whichmatch their capabilities. hus, )evel # is basic, a resident needs total

help and supervision, while )evel #K represents a resident6s ability to

be independent< to prepare one6s own food when desired and to

travel by oneself 8four hours are allowed for this at the wee!end:.

&irls li!e to see themselves progressing through these levels and will

help each other in many ways< for e$ample, one girl might ta!e

another out to show them around.

o meet modern reEuirements for a Mother and Baby

Home, there is an enormous amount of paperwor! involved, daily

records to maintain and constantly changing regulations and

standards to be addressed. Kisitors to Beacon )odge can be sure of one thing. hey will see bonny babies, beautifully cared for here

is no doubt that the lovely old house with its modern amenities,

?-


34/50

beautiful garden and a peaceful, rural outloo!, is an ideal place for the wor! that ta!es place there. #ts social value is reflected in the two

traditional yearly gatherings, namely the Christmas Party and the&arden Party. hese are occasions when staff, management,

residents and friends meet and mingle. #n *++, when these and the

Centenary Service in (pril ta!e place, people will be celebrating a

uniEue institution which has striven to live up to the ideals of thosewho founded it in -0+.

Sadly, one person who dedicated over fifty years of

service to Beacon )odge did not live to see the celebrations. Betty(c!royd died at the beginning of *++@, having served continuously

on the Committee, as well as becoming Secretary, Chairman andlatterly Kice"Chairman. Many attended her funeral at (ll Saints

Church, 'hetstone, including members of the Committee, and staff

from Beacon )odge and #ntegrated Care. ( tree, )iEuidamber, has

been planted in the garden in her memory.

(6) CONCLUSON

(nyone researching the history of Beacon )odge will

become aware of four common themes throughout. /irst, the

constant struggle with finance. /actors affecting this were, and are,

current attitudes to the wor! of the Home, i.e. approval or

disapproval, the acceptance or not of Acharity in the form of second"hand gifts, &overnment legislation and the ever"rising e$pectations

regarding what is needed or supplied. oday the e$acting demands of

laws about charitable institutions and stringent reEuirements for the

provision of care have to be complied with and it costs money

#nflationary changes could be very sudden 8as in the -0+6s: and thefluctuations of income from admissions due to shifting priorities in

)ocal (uthority budgets is particularly uncertain today.

?*


35/50

??

he Kera Hammond

2ursery as it is today

'ishing mother

and baby well as

they leave for their

new lives.


36/50

he second theme is the Euality of staff employed at

Beacon )odge. /rom the early Arescuers of those in moral danger 3 which initially included males as well as females 3 through the long

hours trudging the streets by the utdoor 'or!ers, to the caring s!ills

of superintendents, midwives, nurses, care wor!ers and managers, the

same descriptions crop up through the years= Adedication, Ae$cellentwor!, Aadaptability, and Apersonal commitment. wo names

stand out= Mrs. Peggy Bloome and Mrs. %ose Hunt, who between

them have given Beacon )odge D+ years of dedicated service. )et us

not forget either the house!eepers, gardeners, coo!s, office staff andvisiting professionals who have all done their best for the Home in

diverse ways.

hirdly, a researcher finds common responses by

many of the residents to their stay in a Home where their carers have

striven to help them come to terms with their often traumatic

circumstances. Some hated going to Aan institution, but became

grateful for the support they found there. Some regarded it as their first real home. Some wrote, or write, letters of than!s. Many Aold

residents continue to as! for help with problems or come bac! to

visit. hey are never turned away.

he fourth common theme over the years has been

how to interest enough people to participate in the wor! of the rust.

Pleas for gifts, practical help, support for fund"raising events and for prayers for staff and mothers appear regularly in past accounts of

yearly progress. Much is owed to the clergy who became Chairmen

of the Committee, to hard"wor!ing reasurers and Secretaries, and to

%epresentatives from the parishes within the Haringey and Barnet

4eaneries who were, and are, Committee Members and rustees.(ttempts to find enough people to be on the Committee are ongoing.

Beacon )odge has been very fortunate in the Euality and dedication

?@


37/50

of those who have voluntarily given of their time to its well"being.Concern and love and appreciation of the wor! done shine through

the documents we have researched. here are names which willstand out in these pages, but also countless people whose !ind acts,

gifts of their time and talents, sympathy for the vulnerable or

disadvantaged, and love for babies and children, will go unrecorded.

his History is dedicated to everyone who, over one hundred years,has cared about and assisted in any way the wor! for mothers and

babies which ta!es place at Beacon )odge.

?>

his window remains in the Conference %oom and

reminds users that it was formerly the chapel..


38/50

MPORTANT DATES FOR BEACON LODGE

-0+ 4eanery Committee set up and named he Hornsey(ssociation for %escue and Preventive 'or!

-0+ /irst employee= Miss 7ubler 8later called Miss %idley:

-0+0 -+0 ollington Par! rented and named Beacon )odge

-0-* Second wor!er appointed to do outdoor wor!

-0-0 Miss %idley resigned, replaced by Miss yner

-0*+ -+0 ollington Par! purchased with loan from the Bradleys

-0*- 4eanery 'or!ing Party surpassed themselves by producing

?+0 garments

-0*> 1lectric light installed in the house. /und started to buy ahostel as Beacon )odge proving too small

-0* -+0 ollington Par! sold and larger premises bought at 0

Crouch 1nd Hill " 2ewbeacon6 " which had to be sold again.

-0*0 Beechwood6 in 1astern %oad purchased with additional loan

from the Bradleys, renamed Beacon )odge and enlarged toaccommodate -D girls

-0?+ /irst public view day of Beacon )odge with its new chapel

-0?? %etirement of James Bradley as reasurer after -@ years.

-0?0 /irst Summer /ete held for supporters. utbrea! of 'ar

?D


39/50

-0@- Miss yner retired, Miss /ran! appointed as Superintendent

-0@> Miss Hale appointed as Sister

-0>+ Beacon )odge became a Maternity Home

-0>> Princess Marie )ouise opened new e$tension

-0> 2ame of the (ssociation changed to he Hornsey 4eanery

rust for Moral 'elfare

-0D? Mrs. hatcher opened garden fete

-0D he )ondon 4iocesan 'elcare Council too! over Aoutside

wor!

-0D housandth baby born at Beacon )odge

Miss /ran! and Sister Hale retired

-0* House in Par! Hall %oad purchased to be two flats for staff

-0* Mrs. %eid became Superintendent

-0> )easehold of Par! Hall %oad sold

-0 rusteeship widened to include the )ondon 4iocesan Board

of Social %esponsibility

-00- Beacon )odge rust became he Beacon )odge Charitable

rust

-00? Mrs. %eid retired

?


40/50

-00@ Proposed temporary closure of Beacon )odge by C(%#S

he rustees appointed #ntegrated Care to manage Beacon)odge

7ea Byer became manager

*++* Jan Christie employed as Manager

*++@ %egistration as a %esidential /amily Centre by CSC#

*++ Celebrations to mar! the centenary of Beacon )odge

?


41/50

GRLS WHO STAYED AT BEACON LODGE!

SOME PERSONAL STORES

-0?0= he Secretary reported that a girl who had been sheltered for

one night at Beacon )odge when in great need -> years previously,

had recently died. #t was found that out of her savings she had left

the (ssociation ;? ?s. in gratitude for the !indness she had received.

-0@@= AMary, aged *D, was a Civil Servant, from a very respectable

home. Her parents wanted her away and the baby adopted when it

came, so that none should !now what had occurred. Mary herself wanted the adopting before he came, but afterwards it was a different

story. She made up her mind to !eep him in spite of theunpleasantness it caused with her familyI ( luc!y vacancy was

procured for the baby at a waifs and strays nursery, and Mary

returned to her home and Fob. Her parents have promised, when the

little chap is older, that they will move away to another district, so

that Mary can have him at home with her.

-0@D= Keronica had been a resident at Beacon )odge at ->, and had

been able to !eep her baby boy. She had later married, and her

husband had adopted him. However, they now realised that she was

unable to have more children, so Keronica approached Beacon )odge

to see if she could adopt a child. he outdoor wor!er reported, A#

was able to place a baby boy of nearly a year old with them.

Keronica was very happy indeed, and #6m sure the wee mite will be,for he was one of two illegitimate children born to a married woman,

and rather neglected. Keronica felt she would love to ta!e him, and

care for him.

-0@= 1li5abeth, a Scot, rather delicate, was living in one room.Her parents were dead, and she had two brothers living abroad. She

had no friends e$cept a boy friend whom she was hoping to marry.

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1li5abeth found she was e$pecting a baby. he putative father wasta!en ill and died of pneumonia, and 1li5abeth was left alone to face

the future. She is heartbro!en but gets in touch with us. ( vacancyis given her at Beacon )odge and her baby is born, a little boy. She

loves her baby dearly, and sheds many tears at the thought of having

to part with him. She feels she can never maintain her little boy, so

the only thing to do is to have him adopted. (dopters are found andarrange to ta!e him. (t the last minute she is given a vacancy at a

residential nursery, and 1li5abeth is able to !eep him and go bac! to

her old place of employment in the City. he would"be adopters stay

in touch and contact Beacon )odge to say that 1li5abeth is to marryan old friend of theirs, who has agreed to adopt the baby. So what at

the beginning was a very sad story ends very happily.

-0@0= Betty was referred by a Moral 'elfare 'or!er to the outdoor

wor!er, who wrote, AShe was only -D, so # got her to Beacon )odge.

Betty6s parents refused to have her home with baby, so the only

alternative was to have the baby adopted. (fter much discussion,

baby went to suitable adopters. 'hen the three months was nearlyup, and the time was drawing near for Betty to sign her baby away,

she realised that she would never be able to do so and that she wanted

her baby home. (gain after much discussion and the shedding of

many tears, the parents relented and the little five months6 old Pamela

went home. Some months later Betty came to see me with her

fiancO. hey brought Pamela along with them and they appeared to

be a Ahappy trio. Betty is now married and tells me that her husband wishes to adopt Pamela.

-0>+= Penelope was -, an only child and spoilt. She was sent far

away from her home when her people discovered what was wrong, so

that no"one at home should !now. he baby was to be adopted, butPenelope changed her mind and refused to part with her little

daughter. (t the last minute her parents gave way and poc!eting

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their pride agreed to have her home with the baby. Said her mother,A#f we had only done this in the first place, you could have had your

baby at home and never have left us. Penelope replied, ANou don6tthin! #6d want to have my baby anywhere else but at Beacon )odge,

do you9 #n fact, when # marry and have my ne$t, # shall wait until the

last minute and then turn up on the doorstep and then they will Fust

have to ta!e me in.

-0>*= AP wrote, A# am sure # would not be able to face the future

with such confidence if # had not been to Beacon )odge and realised

# was still a human being. Perhaps that may sound rather stupid, butuntil # went there # felt alone, even though # had good friends. # can6t

find words good enough to than! you for what you did for me. 2otonly for bringing my body bac! to normal, but my mind as well.

-0+= A/ was a student of twenty"one, who following a party to

celebrate the passing of e$aminations discovered that she was

pregnant. he father of the baby was already married and does not

!now of the pregnancy. / is a cheerful and sensible girl, well li!ed by everyone. Her parents died when she was small and she had

always lived with relatives or in lodgings. Her baby was adopted and

she was able to ma!e a new start in life.

-0@= Jenny wrote, A(fter being in Beacon )odge a few days #

realised that my worries and fears about coming into the Home were

unfounded 3 there was help with problems, the girls were friendlyand staff always available to give advice. o me having the chapel at

hand was a great comfort as # found something which seemed

8previously: very distant. Jenny has settled into a Council flat. She

does not deny that life has its problems but she is doing her best to

give her daughter a stable bac!ground.

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-0= Jean is a pretty, intelligent girl, devoted to her boy friend whois a shady character who ta!es his responsibilities as a father very

lightly. (fter a telephone conversation with him, Jean too! anoverdose of phenobarbitone tablets. She was discovered semi"

conscious and rushed to hospital, from where she was transferred to a

maternity hospital and delivered of a healthy baby boy. Jean was

emotionally very disturbed and too! time to accept her baby.However, with care and guidance she made an e$cellent adFustment,

and since her discharge she has visited us with her baby. hey are

getting along nicely.

-00= AM.B. was ta!en into care at the age of fourteen, after

appearing in court for various offences. ne of si$ children, her father was a drin!er who had made se$ual advances to her, and her

mother had abandoned the family to live with another man. Both

parents had been in psychiatric hospitals. (t si$teen she became

pregnant, but did not see the father any more. (t Beacon )odge she

was loo!ing forward to the birth of her baby and appeared willing to

learn, but it was felt that the first step was to win her confidence andgive her some of the care and attention she had lac!ed throughout her

young life, so that in turn her baby could have a better start in life.

-0+= Mary was fifteen years old when she came to Beacon )odge.

Born in Jamaica, she came to 1ngland with her mother and siblings.

Her mother was very strict and uncompromising, and Mary received

many beatings. 'hen she was thirteen she started to rebel and begana life of petty crime. She went to live in a sEuat6 where she met her

boyfriend and became pregnant. he couple applied for a council

flat, but when her age was discovered a care order was placed on her

and she came to live at Beacon )odge. Mary had a baby boy and

proved an e$cellent mother although little more than a child herself.nfortunately the relationship with her boy friend was very unsettled=

he had a violent temper and often hit her. However, she was

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maturing fast, and it was hoped that one day she would be able toma!e a home for her child, probably without the father.

-0-= Jean was a *+"year old girl who had had a very disturbed

childhood, going into care three times. (t -> she had a pregnancy

terminated and began a life of petty crime. #n -0 she had a little

boy, but was evicted from their flat when the child6s father went to prison. wo months later she found she was pregnant again, her little

boy was ta!en into temporary care and Jean came to Beacon )odge.

She had a little girl, and stayed for several months, showing herself to

be a good mother. She was then re"housed with her children and itwas hoped that she would prove capable, with help, of building a

caring family unit and giving her son and daughter a happier childhood than she herself e$perienced.

-0*= &emma came as a very Euiet, introverted -D"year old.

However, gradually her confidence grew with the staff and finally she

confided that she had been raped and had an alcoholic and depressed

mother. he birth of &emma6s child was very difficult, but initiallyshe seemed to cope well until her mother appeared on the scene

creating more problems. /inally &emma turned her bac! on her child

and life itself and behaved as before. 'ith tremendous patience and

time spent with &emma, Fust by listening and tal!ing to her, matters

gradually improved. She became a very confident little mother who,

by herself, arranged medical and psychiatric help for her mother, and

began planning a future for them all.

-0?= Paula, aged -0, spent si$ months at Beacon )odge, having

previously lived in a sEuat6 for two years in Bri$ton. n her arrival

she was very truculent, untrusting and suspicious of all help offered.

Shortly before the birth of her baby, the father completely desertedher for another woman and left the country. he birth was very

difficult, but she recovered well. (bout this time her Social 'or!er

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was ta!en ill and was not replaced immediately. 'ith the limitedhelp Beacon )odge was able to offer, Paula managed almost single"

handedly to obtain a flat, and also arranged the christening of her baby at Beacon )odge. She settled well into her new flat, and after

many years made contact with one of her sisters.

-000= 1velyn wrote, ABeacon )odge is not Fust a building or aname. 'ithin it # found a networ! of people who genuinely cared

for me, that was a surprise. 'hen # first went there # was sure these

people would deliberately ta!e my child from me. 2o matter what

here was no trust and # couldn6t understand why # was sent there.o begin with, # was observed but not in the way # e$pected. # was

restricted and in a way # felt # had been given a prison sentence. #figured that all # had to do was tend to my baby and serve my time, so

# could leave with him. # spent nine months there and learnt that #

was supported in every way possible. he staff tried their best to

understand me. he trust that # had lost for professional people

slowly came bac!. here is a definite safeness about the place and its

staff6s input ma!es it so. # learnt to let them help me ma!e the rightchoices for me and my son, and although at times # messed up, they

never Fudged me.

*++D= A7.%. revisited Beacon )odge with her twin boys aged

eight. She had been a nanny at -, so when she was a resident she

was able to help the other girls. Having come from a big family she

thought Beacon )odge was a prison6, but then she realised what theHome had done for her 3 sorted out her money, helped her find a flat

and turned her life around. She is now married and has a little boy.

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WHO RAN BEACON LODGE"

-0+ " -0-0 Miss (.1. 7ubler 8later !nown as Miss %idley:-0*+ " -0*@ Miss Smith"Shand

-0*@ " -0@+ Miss yner

-0@+ " -0@ Miss &. /ran!

-0@ " -0@ Miss Mc/arlane-0@ " -0D Miss &. /ran!

-0D " -0? Miss Barbara &ill 8later Mrs. Clar!:

-0? " -0> Miss &algey

-0> " -0 Mrs. 1. 'illoughby-0 " -0- Miss Sandra 4owling

-0- " -00* Mrs. Jeanne %eid-00* Mr. John /arrow 8followed by an interregnum:

-00@ " *+++ Ms 7ea Byer

*+++ " *++* Ms Mairead 6Sullivan

*++* Mrs. Jan Christie

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CHARMEN OF THE BEACON LODGE COMMTTEE

-0+ " -0-+ %ev. /.2. hic!nesse 8St. Mary6s Hornsey:-0-- " -0-* %ev. J.H. &reaves 8St. Paul6s Harringay:

-0-? %ev. B. Spin! 8St. Mary6s Hornsey:

-0-@ " -0-D %ev. '.%. gle 8St. Michael6s Highgate:

-0- " -0* %ev. /.H.(. Haw!ins 8(ll Saints Highgate:-0*0 " -0?* %ev. H.C. Montgomery Campbell 8St. Mary6s

Hornsey:

-0?? " -0@* %ev. Preb. 1.(. 4unn 8St. James Muswell Hill:

-0@? " -0@D %ev. './.P. Chadwic! 8Christ Church Crouch1nd:

-0@D " -0>+ %ev. Michael %idley 8St. Mary6s /inchley:-0>- " -0D %ev. S.H. Jarrett 8Holy rinity Stroud &reen:

-0D " -0* %ev. Philip Brassel 8St. Mary6s Hornsey:

-0* " -0D %ev. %alph Baldry 8St. (lban6s &olders &reen:

-0D " -0- %ev. Charles 4unbar 8St. John6s 'hetstone:

-0- " -0@ %ev. heo Cunningham"Burley 8(ll Saints

1ast /inchley:-0> " -00@ Mrs. Betty (c!royd 8(ll Saints /riern Barnet:

-00@ Mr. Brian McCarthy 8St. Mary6s /inchley:

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CHURCHES N#OL#ED N THE SETTNG UP

OF BEACON LODGE

St. Mary6s /inchley St. )u!e6s /inchley

(ll Saints 1ast /inchley Christ Church 2orth /inchley

St. John6s 'hetstone St. James St. John6s /riern

Christ Church Barnet BarnetSt. Peter6s Muswell Hill (ll Saints 'hetstone

St. Paul6s 2ew Southgate St. Michael6s Highgate

(ll Saints Highgate St. (ugustine6s (rchway %oad

St. Mary6s Hornsey St. (ndrew6s Muswell HillChrist Church Crouch 1nd Holy #nnocents Hornsey

St. )u!e6s Hornsey Holy rinity Stroud &reenSt. James6s Muswell Hill Holy rinity 1ast /inchley

St. Paul6s Harringay St. Peter6s Hornsey

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Published by Beacon )odge Charitable rust

the history of beacon lodge revised8

Documents