Blackfriars Settlement moves to Great Suffolk Street

The move will allow work to start on the long-anticipated redevelopment of the 123-year-old charity's Rushworth Street home.

Blackfriars Settlement will provide its services for older people, education and training from the office building formerly known as Pegasus House for up to two years whilst the new centre is constructed.

The new building, developed in association with Notting Hill Housing, will extend across the whole footprint of the site at the corner with Pocock Street and includes 34 shared ownership homes as well as two floors of modern, accessible facilities for Blackfriars Settlement and the users of its services.

There will be a larger main hall and part of the community space will be let out to other organisations to help ensure the sustainability of the centre.

The charity says that the current portable cabins used for education and training at Rushworth Street fail to meet Ofsted specifications for teaching spaces, are inaccessible and the hotch-potch of buildings is expensive to run.

Blackfriars Settlement director Julie Corbett-Bird believes that participants in the organisation's activities deserve modern and up-to-date facilities in a setting that supports people's own aspirations for themselves.

Julie and her team hope to have the usual programme of activities up and running in Great Suffolk Street from Monday 23 August.