 Memorial service celebrates Richard Carr-Gomm's life posted: 1 May 2009
Carr-Gomm clients, staff, Board members and friends joined 600 other guests to celebrate the life of Richard Carr-Gomm OBE at Southwark Cathedral on 29 April.
The event was jointly organised with the Abbeyfield Society, the first charity founded by Richard, and with members of the Carr-Gomm family.
The service included tributes, readings, and music, and two of Richard’s children, Harriet and David, spoke warmly about their father’s life and what inspired his achievements.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Patron of The Abbeyfield Society, although unable to attend, sent a Tribute to be included in the Order of Service. He said “the work inspired by Richard Carr-Gomm has helped many thousands of vulnerable people, young and old, lead happy, secure and fulfilled lives”.
“Both Abbeyfield and Carr-Gomm, had humble beginnings in Bermondsey, South East London. They and the other charities Richard Carr-Gomm founded all aimed to offer a safe home and support to lonely and vulnerable people”
The “humble beginnings” included Richard putting a mop to good use as Abbeyfield’s first housekeeper 53 years ago when he used his army gratuity to buy a house for four lonely old people to live in Eugenia Road, Bermondsey. Abbeyfield now supports more than 7,000 older people in supported sheltered housing and care homes in the UK and also in fifteen countries overseas.
Richard then went on to found Carr-Gomm which now helps over 4000 vulnerable people of all ages providing support, care, and housing. He also founded several other charities.
The Prince of Wales was represented at the Service by Sir Stephen Lamport. Other people attending included Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone, Sir Nicholas Winton, Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde, actor Geoffrey Palmer, Richard’s five children and eleven grandchildren plus hundreds of family, friends, residents, staff and volunteers from the charities he founded. Guests came from beyond England too, including representatives from Carr-Gomm Scotland and from Uganda. (Richard is remembered there for giving shelter in England to the first president of the Republic of Uganda, Edward Mutesa II, when he fled political unrest in 1966.)
A big hit was the Gemstones’ performance of songs by Sting and Labi Siffre during the service. The group were founded by Dorothy Mdoe (who works at Duke House in London) and have appeared on "Last Choir Standing". The Band of the Coldstream Guards, Richard’s old regiment, also played during the service and reception afterwards.
Carr-Gomm’s chair Rose Wilson, the Abbeyfield chairman, and Richard’s daughter Elizabeth thanked everyone for attending during tea. Rose was delighted to share the news that Carr-Gomm clients in Hartlepool have named their new home Richard’s House in his honour.
Carr-Gomm Chief Executive Gary Lashko said, “All the guests I spoke to said how much they enjoyed the occasion and his family felt it was a truly fitting tribute to Richard. A lot of hard work went into making this a success – so thank you to all the staff in Carr-Gomm and Abbeyfield who organised it and helped on the day.” | 
