BEECHOLME SURVIVORS GROUP
Having assisted this group behind the scenes, I thought I should do a quick blog post with relevant information and links.
The group are making an appeal for anyone with any information on the abuse that occurred at Beecholme Children’s Home in Banstead, Surrey, to come forward and contact them.
Links to contact details are further down this post. Survivors of abuse (physical and sexual) that occurred at Beecholme are coming forward all the time so if you are one of those, you are not alone. The man who runs the group – Graeme – is a lovely guy.
Surrey Police have confirmed that they are presently investigating allegations of abuse at Beecholme between 1954 and 1974.
BEECHOLME CHILDREN’S HOME
Beecholme was situated in Fir Tree Road, Banstead, Surrey. From 1930 it was initially run by the London County Council (LCC) before then being taken over by Wandsworth Council following the abolition of the LCC in 1965 until it closed in 1974. Children were sent to Beecholme from London boroughs.
Beecholme was referred to as a ‘village’, as it was set in large grounds with 24 different houses given different names. So far, four of these homes are being investigated following allegations of abuse, not just by staff, but by older children too.
HOUSES:
- Acacia
- Almond
- Ash
- Beech
- Cedar
- Chestnut
- Drake
- Elm
- Fir
- Hazel
- Jasmine
- Laburnum
- Laurel
- Larch
- Lavender
- Lime
- Maple
- Oak
- Pine
- Rendel
- Rowan
- Roedean
- Thistle
- Willow
Police were initially approached in 2013 with allegations of abuse but failed to take a statement. The IPCC have confirmed they are not investigating this failure. However, they are now taking allegations seriously – so much so they have already had four meetings with Wandsworth Council and arrested some former staff in connection with allegations of abuse. (See Further Reading below)
Members of the group have also set up a meeting with Wandsworth Council and are asking as many survivors to come forward as possible – the more information they have, the further it can be researched.
Councils who sent children to Beecholme include:
- Wandsworth
- Lambeth
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
- Islington
RESEARCH
When Beecholme was demolished, records of staff were destroyed and not retained. It has therefore been very difficult to piece together the names of staff. I have, however, managed to obtain as many names as I can, which has been provided to the group. If you stayed at Beecholme – even if you never experienced abuse – but can offer the group further information on the village, please contact them. The smallest piece of information can make the biggest difference.
What has become apparent is that some of the staff who worked at Beecholme went on to Shirley Oaks children’s home run by Lambeth council which was, as we now know, infiltrated by paedophiles. Islington is another council that sent children to Beecholme and who also had a huge issue with paedophiles in their ‘care’ system. The lovely Liz Davies has fought tirelessly for years to expose the networks in Islington.
CONNECTED HOMES
There were also a few other homes connected to Beecholme. These include:
- Earlsfield House Receiving Home, 1 Swaffield Road, Wandsworth
- Gayfere House Boarding Out Home, Tollers Lane, Coulsdon
- 5 North Drive (1951-1955)
- 94 Oakley Street (1958-)
CONTACT DETAILS – BEECHOLME SURVIVORS
CONTACT DETAILS – SURREY POLICE
- Call 101 and ask to speak to the Complex Abuse Unit
CONTACT DETAILS – SHIRLEY OAKS SURVIVORS ASSOCIATION (SOSA)
CONTACT DETAILS – ISLINGTON SURVIVORS NETWORK
CONTACT DETAILS – CRAIG SIMPSON
Craig Simpson is the journalist at Surrey Mirror who has been writing the articles regarding Beecholme. You can find him on Twitter, here.
FURTHER READING
The Surrey Mirror are running a number of articles on Beecholme and survivors stories.
- Surrey Mirror, 4/8/2017 – Children allegedly raped and beaten at Beecholme…
- Surrey Mirror, 7/8/2017 – Graham Sergeant’s story.
- Surrey Mirror, 24/8/2017 – James Reeves’ story.
- Surrey Mirror, 6/9/2017 – Arrests in connection with sexual abuse at Surrey home.
- Surrey Mirror, 8/9/2017 – Martin Steward’s story.
- formerchildrenshomes.org.uk – Banstead Cottage Homes
- Cathy Fox Blog – Child abuse at Beecholme
- The UK & Ireland Database – Institutional abuse at Beecholme
- The National Archives – Earlsfield House files
- Banstead History Group – Beecholme
I was at beecholme and many of us were abused there as well as other homes I was in. but nobody used to say anything as we woukd not be believed.
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Have you contacted Graeme at the Beecholme group? He’s a lovely man who, in just a few months, has achieved so much for those abused in Beecholme and connected homes. He continues to work tirelessly to expose it all. Arrests have already been made and police are taking the issue seriously. Thanks to Graeme you now have a voice if you wish to use it and ears that want to listen and help. X
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Hi no I have not contacted Graham. Sorry reply is late but have only just seen this email as it had been put in spam.
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My recently departed dad was at beachholme in the 50’s and was abused he was very damaged by it all and it had a massive impact on his life till he passed earlier his year he hardly ever spoke about is one tete other than saying it was he’ll and has never left him the stories he did tell me are vile and had left him wih terrible mental health issues witch in turn had an effect on me having to see him taken in to hospital from nervous breakdown and schizophrenia that I truly believe stems from his time spent at beechholme, he found it nearly impossible to talk about his time there. I just wish that the people who abused him were still alive to be punished.
As a side note my brother was abused while in the care of the government in the 1990s resulting in him also being hugely damaged, the council’s and care system are still full of evil people doing evil things
Regards D
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I was in Beecholm was sent there with my brother and sister 1958. We were in Thistle house. Our house mother was called mum Birch. They treated us amazingly. I remember crying when I left in 1961. We were the lucky ones As I have read about abuse that went on there. This is very sad news for those children that were abused 😢
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I was in care with a miss chapman at warren drive then placed in beecholmes anytime in 67/68 and there my memories are murky … how can I found out what house I was placed in ?
How do I join the group run by Graeme ?
Donna Evans / Allen / Ballard
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I was at Beecholmes 67/69 but cannot remember what house I stayed in does anyone know if there is a way to find out ?
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