Bryson Group Sites Search Accessibility Bryson Group MENU Home Who We Are Our History Our History Bryson Chartiable Group was founded in 1906, and since then we continue in our mission to help those in need and with our committment to Building Better Futures across Northern Ireland and beyond. 1906 1909 The Beginning 1906, 1909 Belfast Charity Organisation Society (BCOS), forerunner to Bryson Charitable Group is founded and begins operations from Donegall Square East. In the same year, around the corner, Belfast City Hall opens 1910 1919 Early Innovation in Tackling Social Issues 1910, 1919 BCOS, in-keeping with its commitment to social innovation begins its 100-year collaboration with Queens University Belfast to train social workers. The decade when the Titanic was launched and lost and the First World War took place. 1920 1929 First Reshape to Meet Emerging Social Needs 1920, 1929 BCOS evolves into The Belfast Council of Social Welfare (The Council), moves to new premises and develops the concept of a centre for social innovation to address the emerging post war welfare needs. The decade when the first Northern Ireland Parliament was formed, first meeting in Belfast City Hall 1930 1939 New Direction in Social Innovation 1930, 1939 The Council pioneers the building of high quality social housing with an investment of £20,000 (equivalent to £1,274,000 in 2016) building properties in North, South and East Belfast. The decade in which the Second World War began. 1940 1949 New Centre for Social Services 1940, 1949 The Council establishes the first NI branch of the Citizens Advice Bureau and achieves its ambition to develop a centre for social innovation in the City by acquiring 28 Bedford Street – Bryson House. The decade in which Belfast experienced its own Blitz, but saw the end of the Second World War. 1950 1959 Leading the Way in Public Service Delivery 1950, 1959 The Council develops Extra Care a Volunteer service to aid the “aged and lonely”, the forerunner to the statutory Home Help service. The decade that seen the festival of Britain and the formation of the European Economic Community. 1960 1969 Pioneering Play Therapy 1960, 1969 Concerned about urban housing conditions and its effect on children’s development, the Council pioneers the establishment of the City’s first Adventure Playground, based on a Scandinavian model. During this decade Neil Armstrong becomes the first Man to walk on the Moon 1970 1979 New Models of Social Innovation 1970, 1979 The beginning of civil unrest in NI, the Charity played a lead role in developing and delivering services to victims. Its continued commitment to social innovation seen the development of NI’s first Playbus, and family support service; focused on building parenting skills. To avoid confusion with Belfast City Council, the Council changed its name to Belfast Voluntary Welfare Society (BVWS). During this decade Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in the UK. 1980 1989 Growing Social Impact 1980, 1989 The Charity changed its name to “Bryson House” to build brand awareness in a decade which saw its most prolific growth in social innovation, with the piloting and development of a range of new services, which included a series of community family centres; Keep Belfast Warm; Care and Home Repair for the Elderly; HomeStart; North City Training and many more. 1990 1999 New Business Model for Social Purpose 1990, 1999 To build on the significant growth in service provision, in areas such as energy efficiency and recycling, Bryson develops an enterprising business model driven for social purpose and forms Bryson Enterprise Ltd as a wholly owned subsidiary trading company. During this decade the NI Good Friday Agreement is put in place and Bill Clinton wins USA Presidential election. 2000 2009 A Century of Social Innovation 2000, 2009 In this decade Bryson celebrates its centenary; 100 years of social innovation and forms into Bryson Charitable Group to support and grow its 7 social business subsidiaries becoming NI’s first major social enterprise. In this decade, Belfast City Hall also celebrates its centenary year. 2010 Growing Social Enterprise 2010, Bryson Charitable Group grows to over 600 staff and 120 volunteers, enters the top 100 SME’s in NI with turnover growing to over £30m, wins Queens Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development and All Ireland Local Enterprise Award for delivering 24,000 services daily in NI, the Irish Republic and Wales. NEXT: AWARDS AND ACCREDITATIONS Who We Are Our Vision, Mission and Values Our Group Companies Our Leadership Our Governance Our History Awards and Accreditations facebook twitter youtube linkedin instagram Get In Touch Bryson Charitable Group 2 Rivers Edge 13-15 Ravenhill Road Belfast BT6 8DN E: info@brysongroup.org T: 028 9032 5835 F: 028 9043 9156 Group Companies Bryson Care Bryson Energy Bryson FutureSkills Bryson Intercultural Bryson LaganSports Bryson Recycling Browse Who We Are What We Do Our Social Impact News Careers & Volunteering Contact © 2021 Bryson Charitable Group | Terms & Conditions| Cookies & Privacy| Accessibilitywebsite by Eyekiller By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies & Privacy Policy Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies