What is Abbeyfield?
(As we have known it in British Columbia and Canada since 1987.)
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Abbeyfield is an international society dedicated to providing older people with affordable, companionable and secure housing in a family-type household within their local community.
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Community sponsored and supported. Abbeyfield Houses are set up and run on a not-for-profit basis under the management of a volunteer board of directors. Cost, which include all meals, are shared by residents.
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A proven concept begun in England 60 years ago, there are now more than 800 Abbeyfield Houses worldwide. There are 28 houses operating in Canada, mainly in British Columbia (BC). St. Andrew's Abbeyfield (1987) in Sidney, BC was the first house to be established in Canada; St. Peter's Abbeyfield (1989) in Saanich, BC was the third.
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As a typical Abbeyfield house, St. Andrew's Abbeyfield provides companionship in a family environment for residents. Each suite is a bed-sitting room with private washroom. All other areas - kitchen, dining, lounge, sunroom, laundry and utility rooms, and large bathrooms - are shared.
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A Live-in House Coordinator prepares 2 nutritious meals a day. Breakfast is self-service. An alarm system links residents to the House Coordinator to ensure any sudden illness or emergency is immediately attended to. Home care by a community nurse, a relative, a friend or an accredited care provider can be brought to the resident's room when needed.
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In Abbeyfield, we believe overcoming loneliness and insecurity, while maintaining independence, can make a big difference to the well-being and quality of life of our residents.
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What is Abbeyfield?
(Transcript of the keynote speech by Abbeyfield Chairman John Robinson at the Milan Global Abbeyfield Conference in May 2011 is reproduced below.)
What is Abbeyfield? Perhaps a strange question to ask getting on for 60 years since it's foundation.
Moira Bacon answered the question excellently by showing some very happy residents, mentioning some key people who have led the way and most importantly her 3P's .
• People – RESIDENTS - Their needs / New communities
• People – VOLUNTEERS - Value them / Attract new ones
• People – STAFF - With Abbeyfield ethos in their hearts
We are at the start of something new, big and exciting. Abbeyfield is one and We are together! That creates even better opportunities, but perhaps also a time to take stock, to dwell a little on our basic principles as we move ahead together.
I want to pose some questions, sometimes with suggested answers but not always, but first, let me take us back to the beginning:
Richard Carr-Gomm was a visionary. I hope everybody has had the opportunity to see the CD that was produced about his life. Richard saw the need to combat loneliness amongst the elderly based on a profound Christian belief which stayed with him throughout his life. I never met him, but 2 weeks ago I was talking with his daughter at the stone laying at the new Girton Complex at Cambridge, England. By any standards he was an eccentric, his only interest in money was to give it away. Others had managed money for him - his wife at home and as the years went by Abbeyfield moved on without him. Sadly, perhaps it had to. Often the visionary, the inspiration, hasn't the skills to translate that vision into organisation. Others know about that history better than I.
I have a friend, Keith McDowell, who was a young cub reporter on the Daily Express in the mid 1950's, then a major British national newspaper. Keith was sent to interview this strange Army officer who was looking after disadvantaged elderly people using his own money in a poor area of Bermondsey. Keith's recollection is that Richard was the nearest personification of a saint he has met in his life. He wrote the Scrubbing Major article, a double page spread, which was Keith's big break that set him on his career. It was also the big break that created wide interest in Richard's work.
It seems to me it is important to note 3 things:
- Richard started his work amongst the less well off. In contrast we tend to care for the better off.
- the world was very different in 1955! Needs and aspirations have changed dramatically in most parts of the world.
- others have to take on the vision of the visionary, the organisation, and to continuously develop it.
Abbeyfield was founded by a middle class Christian visionary, working amongst the least advantaged in the community. It has developed and changed. The vision has widened, from Richard's two early houses.
Almost 60 years on, I think we are are clear about the Abbeyfield vision and Ethos. It has evolved. Richard's daughter said he would be incredibly proud of Abbeyfield today.
Simply it says:
- providing the highest possible standard physical provision in the most relevant form in the local circumstances (nothing but the best is acceptable)
- but that is not enough. Commercial organisations can do that as well as us. The Abbeyfield difference, USP, is
- providing as fulfilling a life as possible for our residents, whatever their circumstances. Be they fit, frail, sick or healthy, in both mind and body
Abbeyfield fulfills this through Volunteers. Without volunteers we are not able to provide fulfilled lives. This is more than just loneliness. This is more than Richard' s original vision, a natural development from it.
My shorthand for our vision is that we care for the BODY, the physical aspects, but many do that. Abbeyfield also cares for the person, the SOUL. The body and the soul, but how do we work it out in practice in our changing multifaceted world?
This is where I want to ask ourselves questions for us all to think about. Hard headed questions which I believe we need to answer if we are to successfully move to the next phase of Abbeyfield's development. I have 5 questions I want to pose, you will have more.
These are:
- is the Abbeyfield House the true Abbeyfield model?
- are we a business?
- are we a charity?
- how do we grow internationally?
- what about our Christian foundation in a multi faith culture?
Let us try and answer them:
1. Is the Abbeyfield House the true Abbeyfield model?
I hear people say that the traditional Abbeyfield House is the only way forward. I also hear people say that the traditional house is finished, the world has moved on and we should now recognise that.
I do not believe either statement!
I do believe that we must think forward in all our new developments and try and ensure that our provision will be fit for purpose in 15 or 20 years time. We must think of all aspects including provision for the rest of the person's life. That may include nursing care and almost certainly dementia. Probably end of life care, and what about "Abbeyfield without Walls". Loneliness exists in peoples own homes!
So, perhaps the Abbeyfield House is not the model, but part of the model. Sometimes the model will have to change and it will differ in different national environments.
2. Are we a business?
It depends what you mean by a business.
We handle a lot of money, I estimate we collectively have a Turnover of around £130 Million and Total Assets including Cash, Investments and Buildings are of the order of £240M. So, we must be business like. We must manage our money well, and ensure that we generate sufficient surplus to be self sustaining, to maintain and update our assets to the highest standard, and invest behind developing support for those in our care. We have to generate sufficient surplus to reinvest in our facilities.
We must be business like, and the cash which we should generate is entirely used within.
That is one aspect of a Charity.
3. Are we a Charity?
Most definitely, but with an international audience I am on slightly difficult grounds. Words can mean different things.
The American term "not for profit" is becoming in general use. That, of itself, can be misleading. Many, “not for profits" are extremely profitable. A better term might be "not for profit distribution".
So we keep our surpluses. We have tax advantages and more important than anything, literally thousands of Abbeyfield volunteers give freely and generously their time and talents.
We care about people in a way that no commercial organisation can, but we have to be very clear in our thinking.
Being a charity must not mean using charity money to subsidise the well off. It may mean using funds to subsidise the financially needy.
Abbeyfield in the UK got into a financial mess, by believing that being a Charity meant charging prices below the Market rate - being cheap. As the bulk of our residents are reasonably well off, this meant subsidising the well off. The consequent negative cash flow leads to under investment, shabby properties, voids etc. A vicious spiral downhill. That has been largely addressed in the centrally owned properties by increasing fees to the Market rate. I am afraid the disease exists in far too many Independent Societies.
In the UK, the consequences of this are clear. Capacity has shrunk by around 30 per cent in the last 15 years and we still have too many traditional Abbeyfield Houses in independent Societies which are not fit for purpose. The consequences of complacency and not being business like.
Good charities are business like, they operate to the highest standards in everything they do, and they have the massive advantage of the time and goodwill of those who give it freely.
4. How do we grow internationally?
It is really exciting. We all have a renewed opportunity to learn from each other. The world is our oyster - but resources are not limitless.
We have a new International Director who is full time and will not be hampered by a lack of travel budget. His first task will be to work with the International Council in coming up with an international Strategy. The last 25 years has created a truly strong base - the issue is, what next?
A couple of thoughts strike me from my own background in being part of creating a large multinational organisation.
First thought. Simplistically we have two choices. A strategy of spreading to as many countries as possible, or focusing where we now have strong bases. Even in our strong countries we are only scratching the surface. My inclination is to the latter. My experience says building on our strengths is probably the best, as against trying to cover the globe with flags.
Second thought. Just because something is called Abbeyfield, how do we know it operates to the high standards which we expect? Quality international organisations protect their brands. I suggest we are going to have to give serious thought to a mechanism of ensuring that all parts of the Abbeyfield movement operate to a minimum acceptable standard.
And finally
5. What about our Christian foundation in a Multifaith Culture?
This requires probably more thought in the UK than anywhere - where total Sunday church attendance may be as little as 2 or 3 per cent of the population (even at Easter only a little over 10per cent) and attendance by other faiths may be as high as that in Christian churches. A secular Society.
It is true, though, that people often return to, and feel they have a need for, faith as they get older, nearer the end. I think this is important. I do believe we must stick strongly to our foundation - but at the same time serve not just Christians but equally those of all faiths and denominations.
Bishop Christopher Herbert is working with Paul Allen on how we might provide appropriate chaplaincy for those who want it. It seems to me that not to ensure that provision is available is in direct conflict with our mission to help people to be fully fulfilled, but it will mean being just as concerned for Muslims as Christians and for the poor and uneducated as well as the well off and sophisticated.
Well there we are. You may have burning questions that you think are more important for us to think through - and you may be right.
Perhaps the most moving experience I have had in Abbeyfield was in South Africa - seeing that house being developed on the edge of the enormous squatter camp in Cape Town. By any standards, providing for amongst the most disadvantaged in society. That represents real foresight, and courage. Totally in line with our mission - Richard would have been especially proud, but a long way from the now traditional leafy suburbs in much of Abbeyfield. Should that remind us of something?
It is great to meet you all. Thanks for listening and I welcome any thoughts now and especially over the next couple of days. -- End of Speech
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What is Abbeyfield?
(To the Residents of St. Andrew’s Abbeyfield House in Sidney, British Columbia, Canada)
Abbeyfield is peace, caring, privacy and camaraderie. It is as close to my childhood home as you can get. Sarah
It is great to live in Abbeyfield, it is so very caring. In every way it is our home. Molly
I like the way it is run, like a regular home, like a family. I think it's wonderful, I really do. Bea
Abbeyfield means home. I thank God for it every day.For me it is a foretaste of heaven. I feel loved and I know I am prayed for every day. Betty
I chose Abbeyfield Sidney because it had everything I was looking for - family style living and two real nourishing meals a day made by Sister Mary Joseph who looks after us. We are a caring sharing family of nine. Ida
I only very recently arrived at Abbeyfield and from my first day I truly felt I was made welcome and immediately became part of my new family. Sister Mary Joseph should be congratulated for her great leadership as she guides us through each day. Nothing is too much trouble for her family. Morag
It's like my "Little Gray Home in the West". Mary
It's a blessing to live here, and two of the blessings are the pleasant atmosphere created by the staff and other residents and the good food. I really appreciate living in Abbeyfield. Marnie
Abbeyfield means everything to me - it's my home, it's just everything. Joyce
Abbeyfield means home. I consider that the most important aspect of my role as House Coordinator is ensuring that every Resident feels this is their home and that they are an important part of our Abbeyfield family and that as a family we are warm, loving and supportive one to another. I also do the cooking etc! Sister Mary Jo, House Coordinator for almost 8 years