History

StreetScene was registered as a charity in 1989. The founder members were a recovering addict, her father, a local vicar and a drugs counsellor - all of whom concerned with the threat from drugs and alcohol facing young people. The charity has two stated aims:

• To advance public education particularly amongst young people about all matters related to drugs abuse.
• To relieve and rehabilitate persons who are suffering or have suffered from drug addiction or other forms of addiction.

To pursue these aims, Anderson House was oppened in Bournemouth in 1991 as a ten bed secondary care treament centre for those suffering from addictive illnesses. The centre gradually built up a reputation and gained support locally and nationally from a variety of bodies and expanded its services to provide primary treatment as well.

Late in 1995, a bid was put to the National Lottery Charities Board for money to open a second centre, and early in 1996 a grant was awarded which enabled the Trustees to purchase Allington House - a sixteen bed house - which opened on the 2^nd September 1996 as a primary treatment centre, leaving Anderson House to provide for secondary care only.

In 1999 StreetScene looked to expand again and in April 2000 Francis House opened in Southampton. This unit provides both primary and secondary care for up to Eighteen clients.

In 2001 and 2002, StreetScene began to address another need, that of accommodation for those clients who need extra support after treatment. To this end the re-settlement program was established. This now provides Eighteen beds in Bournemouth, with its main office based at Bryant House.

2005 saw the death of one of our founder members. Dennis Corner passed away suddenly in April of this year. He had been the Chairman of the trust since its inception and a positive driving force behind our progress. Sadly in 2006 we also lost Terry O'Dwyer, who died suddenly in June. He had been our Treatment Director for many years and is still sadly missed by all who knew him.

2006 saw further advances for the charity. Firstly we took steps towards becoming a charitable company limited by guarantee. Secondly we relocated the services of Anderson House to a new property, called Cornerways in memory of Dennis Corner. This new premises is twice the size of Anderson House and provides twenty beds of both primary and secondary care. This was made possible by Futurebuilders England. At the end of 2006, Anderson House was in the process of being sold, the proceeds of which will reduce the mortgage on Cornerways and provide funds for double-glazing for our other units.