Norwood (charity)
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Norwood, known legally as Norwood-Ravenswood, is a UK charity established in 1785 in the East End of
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. Its name comes from its long running home for Jewish children, Norwood Hall, in the south London suburb of
West Norwood West Norwood is a largely residential area of south London within the London Borough of Lambeth, located 5.4 miles (8.7 km) south south-east of Charing Cross. The centre of West Norwood sits in a bowl surrounded by hillsides on its east ...
which opened in 1863 and closed in 1961. In 1996, it merged with Ravenswood, a
Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
-based charity for people with
learning disabilities Learning disability, learning disorder, or learning difficulty (British English) is a condition in the brain that causes difficulties comprehending or processing information and can be caused by several different factors. Given the "difficult ...
, to create one of the largest welfare organisations within the
British Jewish community British Jews (often referred to collectively as British Jewry or Anglo-Jewry) are British citizens who identify as Jewish. The number of people who identified as Jews in the United Kingdom rose by just under 4% between 2001 and 2021. History ...
. Norwood currently provides hundreds of services supporting vulnerable children, families and people with
learning disabilities Learning disability, learning disorder, or learning difficulty (British English) is a condition in the brain that causes difficulties comprehending or processing information and can be caused by several different factors. Given the "difficult ...
, within the Jewish and wider communities in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
and the South East. These specialist services are delivered by 1,200 staff and supported by 500 volunteers. Norwood's Patron is HM The Queen and its Patron of Children's Services is Cherie Blair. The charity's celebrity supporters include
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of ''The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on t ...
,
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
,
David Furnish David James Furnish (born 25 October 1962) is a Canadian filmmaker and former advertising executive. He is married to English singer, pianist and composer Sir Elton John. Early life and education David Furnish was born in Toronto, Ontario, th ...
, Sir
Philip Green Sir Philip Nigel Ross Green (born 15 March 1952) is a British businessman who was the chairman of the retail company the Arcadia Group. He owned the high street clothing retailers Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge from 2002 to 2020. As of Ma ...
,
Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the Rock music, rock band The Who. Daltrey's hit songs with The Who include "My Generation", "Pinball Wizard", "Won't Ge ...
,
Theo Paphitis Theodoros "Theo" Paphitis ( el, Θεόδωρος Παφίτης; born 24 September 1959) is a Greek-Cypriot British retail magnate and entrepreneur. He is best known for his appearances on the BBC business programme ''Dragons' Den'' and as former ...
,
Tom Conti Tommaso Antonio Conti (born 22 November 1941) is a Scottish actor, theatre director, and novelist. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1979 for his performance in '' Whose Life Is It Anyway?'' and was nominated for the Academy Aw ...
and
Piers Morgan Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan (; né O'Meara; born 30 March 1965) is a British broadcaster, journalist, writer, and television personality. He began his Fleet Street career in 1988 at '' The Sun''. In 1994, aged 29, he was appointed editor of the ...
.


History

In 1795, brothers Abraham and Benjamin Goldsmid began campaigning for funds for a major Jewish poor relief scheme. Twelve years later they were able to use the funds to establish the Jews' Hospital in
Mile End Mile End is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London, England, east-northeast of Charing Cross. Situated on the London-to-Colchester road, it was one of the earliest suburbs of London. It became part of the m ...
. Following the death of the Goldsmid brothers, Queen Victoria's uncle,
Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, (27 January 1773 – 21 April 1843) was the sixth son and ninth child of King George III and his queen consort, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He was the only surviving son of George III who did not ...
, became the Hospital's first royal patron in 1815. In 1831, the Jews' Orphan Asylum was established in Leman Street. Originally, just seven children were housed at the Asylum, but over the decades that number grew and by 1860 it housed 60 orphans. During the same period, the Jews' Hospital was becoming overcrowded, with 100 boys and 40 girls enrolled by 1860. In 1866, the children were transferred from the Jews' Hospital to new premises at Norwood, South
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. In 1876, the Jews' Hospital had merged with the Orphan Asylum, and the children from the latter also moved to Norwood. The numbers of Jewish children at Norwood increased from 159 in 1877 to 260 in 1888, and because of the increased demand, many had to be turned away. The institution was renamed the Norwood Jewish Orphanage in 1928. During this period, it became known to a wider audience due to a high-profile annual day trip to Southend organised by the London Taxi Drivers' Fund for Underprivileged Children. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the children were evacuated to homes in Worthing and Hertford and the building was used by the
London Fire Brigade The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is the fire and rescue service for London, the capital of the United Kingdom. It was formed by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade Act 1865, under the leadership of superintendent Eyre Massey Shaw. It has 5,992staff, in ...
as a training centre. After the war, the number of children at the Orphanage started to decline as they became more integrated within the community. In 1956, the name was again changed to the Norwood Home for Jewish Children. Ravenswood was established in 1953 in
Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
by a group calling themselves the Jewish Association of Parents of Backward Children. Its initial mission was to provide care and education for four 11-year-old boys. After the acquisition of a second home and a farm five years later, the Ravenswood Foundation was formed. In the latter half of the 1950s, nine family houses were built or acquired by Norwood in South London with the aim of giving children a homely environment. The old Orphanage became redundant and was eventually demolished in 1963. The Norwood family homes were moved to North
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
and eventually closed one by one, with the last one closing its doors in 1992. In 1985, Norwood opened its first registered residential home for adults with
learning disabilities Learning disability, learning disorder, or learning difficulty (British English) is a condition in the brain that causes difficulties comprehending or processing information and can be caused by several different factors. Given the "difficult ...
. Five years later, the Kennedy Leigh Children and Family Centre in
Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Great ...
was opened, offering practical advice and support to families living with learning disability or facing social disadvantage. The centre also housed Binoh, Norwood's education and therapy service that supports children with special educational needs. In 1996, Norwood merged with Ravenswood, and opened family centres in Redbridge and Hackney. It was called Norwood Ravenswood for six years before finally changing its name to Norwood in 2002. In January 2008, Cherie Blair officially opened Wellbeing at Bearsted, a centre offering health and wellbeing services to the local Orthodox Community in Hackney. In June 2008, The Hope Charity, a London-based organisation supporting children with special educational needs, joined Norwood's umbrella of children and family services. Norwood also opened a new integrated nursery in
Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Great ...
in September 2008, accommodating children who have
disabilities Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...
or require additional support, as well as providing a first-class facility for children who have no special needs. In 2008 and 2009, two new specialised facilities were completed at Ravenswood. The Tager Centre is a home for adults who have a range of autistic spectrum conditions, while the Pamela Barnett Centre houses adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities. In March 2009, Norwood joined forces with Brighton care home, Sussex Tikvah. In April 2010, The RD Crusaders WorkHub in
Stanmore Stanmore is part of the London Borough of Harrow in London. It is centred northwest of Charing Cross, lies on the outskirts of the London urban area and includes Stanmore Hill, one of the highest points of London, at high. The district, which ...
was officially opened. The facility offers a range of services to help adults with learning disabilities learn new skills and, potentially, find paid employment.


Services


Children and family services

Norwood has three Family Centres located in Hackney,
Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Great ...
and Redbridge, which provide a range of support services to children and families in the local community. Wellbeing at Bearsted in Hackney offers health services to the local Orthodox community. The Hope Centre enables children with special educational needs to reach their full potential, using a range of techniques including the Feuerstein methodology. Binoh, a special education and therapy service, works with children under 18 with specific educational needs to enhance their learning and improve their self-esteem. Buckets & Spades Lodge is a short break service for children with learning and physical
disabilities Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...
. It offers residential stays in a well-equipped house with round-the-clock professional care and a range of stimulating activities. Unity is a recreational play and youth service for children with disabilities. Unity runs holiday schemes at Norwood's Family centres in Hendon and Redbridge, as well as after-school clubs and residential holidays. Family Support includes a social work team and provides multidisciplinary support to families experiencing a variety of social or domestic problems, including divorce, abuse, parenting, disability and illness, addiction and finances. The charity also provides domestic and inter-country
adoption Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...
services.


Adult learning disability services

Life Long Learning Services offer a programme of skills and opportunities for life through individualised learning in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
and the South East. Supported Employment works with adults with
learning disabilities Learning disability, learning disorder, or learning difficulty (British English) is a condition in the brain that causes difficulties comprehending or processing information and can be caused by several different factors. Given the "difficult ...
and enables them to access work. The service is based at the new RD Crusaders WorkHub in
Stanmore Stanmore is part of the London Borough of Harrow in London. It is centred northwest of Charing Cross, lies on the outskirts of the London urban area and includes Stanmore Hill, one of the highest points of London, at high. The district, which ...
, which was officially opened in 2010 by Roger Daltrey and members of the rock super group the
RD Crusaders The RD Crusaders is a super group band created by The Who's Roger Daltrey and newspaper publisher Richard Desmond in 2003. The group has raised several million in funds for charities including Teenage Cancer Trust and Norwood. Their lineup vari ...
, who helped fund the project. Links offers leisure, recreation and holiday opportunities for adults with learning disabilities. Supported Living provides support to adults living in their own homes across London and Berkshire. Norwood has 11 Registered Care Homes in the heart of local communities in the South East, concentrated in Redbridge, Harrow, Barnet and Brighton. Ravenswood in Berkshire provides accommodation to 140 adults with learning disabilities in 13 registered care homes. The Karten Centre at Ravenswood is a learning hub supporting adults with learning disabilities to learn new skills and earn qualifications through computer-aided learning.


Fundraising

Fundraising is vital to Norwood as many of its services receive little or no government funding at all. Norwood needs to raise £12m every year.


Challenges

Norwood Challenges offer a range of sponsored sporting events for all ages and abilities. Norwood pioneered the international sponsored events 20 years ago and over 10,000 people have participated in a Norwood Challenge since 1992. Norwood runs Challenges suitable for all levels of experience, ability and all ages. Previous international event destinations have included Northern Thailand, Kenya, South Africa, India, Croatia, Israel, Italy, Austria, Vietnam & Cambodia, Prague and the Sahara Desert.


External links


Norwood Charity website

Norwood Sporting Challenges website


* ttps://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/+/http://www.movinghere.org.uk/stories/story223/story223.htm?identifier=stories/story223/story223.htm Memories of Growing up at Norwood Orphanage
The story of Norwood Jewish Orphanage
Association of Jewish Women's Organisations in the UK {{DEFAULTSORT:Norwood (Charity) Children's charities based in the United Kingdom Norwood charity Jews and Judaism in England Jewish charities based in the United Kingdom Jewish community organizations Jewish medical organizations Norwood charity Organizations established in 1831