Sapphire is a growing and developing association responding to the changing needs of affordable housing

Our Timeline

• Irish Centre Hostels founded

  1969

  Sapphire Independent Housing was originally established as Irish Centre Hostels, through the Irish Centre, Camden. Its specific aim at the time was to develop hostel accommodation, for young Irish men and women in London.

• Hope House acquired

  1973

  Hope House, a former nursing home run by the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent was acquired.

• Hope House refurbished

  1974

  A 100 bed, all male hostel for young Irish men needing short term (three- four weeks) accommodation, until they found a job and more permanent accommodation.

  Two of the Guildford Four stayed at Conway House when they first arrived in London from Ireland.

• St Louise opened

  1976

  A large all female hostel was acquired from the religious order the Daughters of Charity. The hostel again housed mostly Irish women, arriving in London for the first time seeking short-term accommodation and employment advice.

• Conway House was named after Cardinal William Conway

  1979

  Pope John Paul II visited Conway House in 1982.

  This was the first visit to the UK by a reigning pope.

  During his time here Pope John Paul II visited nine cities, delivering 16 major addresses.

• Highgate Road opened

  1994

  Our first self-contained general needs accommodation. Funded by The Rough Sleepers Initiative to help create bed spaces in hostels and assist individuals to move on to independent living.

• Irish Centre Hostels rebranded to Irish Centre Housing

  1995

  Irish Centre Hostels changed its name to Irish Centre Housing. This rebrand helped to clarify the Association’s plans for the future. The Association had begun to diversify our services across the public housing sector, to provide more than just temporary hostel accommodation.

  High levels of unemployment during the 1980s and early 1990s deeply affected potential opportunities for many Sapphire residents. It was during this period the Association began to establish employment and training initiatives. Leading the way towards our now firmly established supported services and cementing our mission “To improve lives and value people”

• Caulfield Court and Dunne Mews built, Forde House opened

  1996

  Dunne Mews and Caulfield Court were built in 1996 and 1997, using Rough Sleepers Initiative funding. Forde House was refurbished into a nine-bed multi occupancy shared house. Forde House was later redeveloped into four separate self-contained general needs flats, to help meet the needs of single people requiring independent living.

• Bethany House and St Eugene Court opened

  1999

  Bethany House The Association acquired Bethany House, our 93 bed all-female hostel from the YWCA. Formerly known as Alexandria House, a resident competition helped decide on its current name, Bethany House, after the Bethany Sisters who previously owned the hostel before the YWCA.

  St Eugene Court was acquired and redeveloped into 25 independent flats for the elderly in 1999. St Eugene Court was originally part of the Irish Centre Club and still has a strong connection with the Irish community today.

• Hackett House acquired

  2002

  Hackett House was acquired from the Local Authority and was refurbished as a shared house.

• Townsend House opened

  2003

  Acquired from the Girls Friendly Society (GFS). Based in Hertfordshire.

• Hepburn Court opened

  2006

  Hepburn Court acquired from the YWCA in 2006. Based in Hertfordshire.

• Recovery Service commissioned

  2011

  Sapphire’s Recovery Service was commissioned, in partnership with Clarion Housing Group (previously Circle Housing) and Phoenix Futures (previously Foundation 66), to deliver support and housing management services for individuals with drug and alcohol problems. Sapphire’s Hackett House was integrated into the Recovery Service, along with two other shared houses owned by Clarion Housing Group and Foundation 66. Sapphire provided the key work support, housing management and responsive maintenance services for all properties within the Recovery Service.

• Conway House redeveloped, Tara Lodge built

  2012

  Conway House was completely redeveloped as a sixty bed male hostel. The service offers en-suite facilities, shared training facilities and a fully equipped Training and Resource Centre (TRC.) Tara Lodge was built as part of this redevelopment and is situated adjacent to Conway House. The building comprises of five self-contained general needs family flats and one single bed flat. It is Sapphire’s first venture into self-contained family accommodation.

• Sapphire Independent Housing rebranded

  2015

  The Association rebranded in 2015 as Sapphire Independent Housing, to more accurately reflect the organisation as it is today. A modern and diverse housing association offering a mixed-tenure portfolio that provides support and services to people, some of whom have a vulnerability, in housing need across four London boroughs and South Hertfordshire.

• Hackett House redeveloped

  2017

  The Recovery Service was closed in 2017. Hackett House was consequently redesignated as General Needs move-on shared accommodation