Future pathway secured for Bedford
Bedford wishes to announce that with the support of the State and Federal Governments a future pathway has been proposed for the 1250 people with disability that we employ and support, with The Disability Trust expected to acquire Bedford, protecting livelihoods and vital services.
Today, Matthew Caddy, Rob Smith, Melissa Smith and Mark Knight of McGrathNicol will be appointed as voluntary administrators of the seven entities comprising the Bedford Group to progress the sale and/or recapitalisation processes.
The Administrators will continue to operate all Bedford sites enabling all supported employees and clients to continue to attend their sites as usual. Continuity of services to Supported Independent Living (SIL) residents at Balyana will also be maintained.
The Board has endorsed proceeding with The Disability Trust transaction to acquire Bedford’s operations relating to the continuation of supported employment and programs for people with disability. The Administrators will now review the transaction proposed by The Disability Trust, which remains subject to creditor approval.
The Disability Trust is a like-minded organisation with a deep focus on inclusion and community that under the proposed transaction will step in to provide stability and continuity for people living with disability in South Australia. This includes retaining the Bedford name to preserve the organisation’s deeply impactful history across our State.
We recognise the challenging time the whole Bedford community has faced in recent months and sincerely thank everyone for their unwavering dedication and commitment to supporting the continuation of Bedford and the services it provides.
It is with gratitude that we acknowledge the support provided by both the State and Federal Governments which has afforded Bedford time to identify options that could ensure the continuity of job supports and services throughout this recent period.
We encourage our valued customers and suppliers to keep supporting Bedford, it underpins opportunities for people with disability in South Australia.
To our valued donors and community partners, we say a heartful thank you for your support over the last 80 years to assist Bedford in delivering on its purpose and we look forward to seeing that continue in a renewed chapter for the organisation.