Peckham Settlement closure

[LauraW]

The local voluntary agency Peckham Settlement has gone into administration after 116 years, making its 32 staff members redundant. Does anyone know what actually happened to lead to the closure?

[lane lover]

I am assuming it didnt have sufficient donations to remain solvent.

[Siduhe]

More info here (no connection - just did a quick google):

http://www.civilsociety.co.uk/finance/news/content/13193/100-year-old_community_charity_for_peckham_closes?

[Eileen]

a major factor was the buredensome costs of running very old buildings. There was a long established plan to swap the land and buildings for council land on Meeting House Lane and develop a more fit for purpose building. That didn't take place soon enough, maybe because they needed to raise a lot of funds to implement it. But the suddeness was probably because the running costs related to the buildings made the precarious cash flow just the wrong side of viable.

A comparison is Cambridge House in Camberwell - same vintage -that has renovated its Georgian builidings and built a modern community centre really fit for purpose behind the facade. It cost near ?5m I think. I hope that hasn't left it with burdensome loans. It is a great place now.

I have operated in one way or another with the Peckham Settlement since 1977, so it is very strange that it has suddenly disappeared, and terrible for those direclty affected. But other things will eventually grow in the space vacated.