L'Arche London

General information

In a world that values winning and coming first L'Arche Communities are places where people can discover who they are not just what they can do.

There are 11 L'Arche Communities in the UK where people with and without learning disabilities share life together, living and/or working in community. All are part of the International Federation of L’Arche which was founded by Templeton Laureate Jean Vanier.

Although grounded in the Christian tradition, L'Arche Communities welcome people of all faiths and none: our vision is a world where all belong. For more information about L’Arche go to www.larche.org.uk.

Like other support providers we are regulated and inspected to ensure a high quality of provision.

Each Community is very different.

L'Arche London is a community of more than 100 people with and without learning disabilities. We have been based in West Norwood in South London since 1977.

We provide registered care, supported housing and specialist day services to help people with disabilities live fulfilled lives. We are regulated by the Care Quality Commission and are one of Lambeth's approved providers for care for adults with learning disabilities.

We live, work and celebrate together. We give time to practical, emotional and spiritual needs. Some of our team have been with L'Arche for over 30 years and we're committed to far more than service provision.

We aim to:
•Value each individual, ensuring that we see people with disabilities having as much to give as to receive
•Create a sense of belonging, not just to L'Arche but to the wider community and beyond that the world
•Be open to people's own spiritual needs, enabling them to draw on the resources that can provide

What makes L’Arche different is the attention we pay to building relationships and a sense of belonging.In L’Arche we celebrate people with learning disabilities and build circles of support around them. We go beyond basic needs to attend to people’s emotional and spiritual lives. Communities around the world share this common philosophy and approach while reflecting the ethnic, cultural and religious composition of the areas in which they exist.