Charity focus: St Andrew's Club
In the first of a series of charity features for 2012, we look at a Belgravia group that’s been helping children since 1866
A contender for the oldest youth club in the world, St Andrew's Club has been a second home for generations of young people since 1866. At its original site in Market Street, Soho, it provided board, meals, a weekly allowance and evening activities such as chess and draughts for apprentice boys who had come to London to work. Now located in Belgravia, the club boasts more than 700 members aged from five to 19, both boys and girls, who come to play, study, socialise, take part in sport and get creative.
We spoke to Naomi Roper, who has managed fundraising and PR for the club for the past four years. She knows firsthand what makes St Andrew’s such a special place.
Q: What can young people expect when they come to St. Andrew’s Club?
A: At St Andrew's, young people can have fun, work together as a team, make new friends, learn new skills and be themselves in an environment that's safe and supportive. Our dedicated team of staff put on a range of exciting, enabling and educational activities from karate and football to arts and crafts and cookery. As well as structured activities, we have a music studio where kids can do their own recording and composition, and a gym for cardio and weight training with a qualified instructor who works on personal fitness plans for members. We also have free study time and we help with homework or CVs. We have between 25 and 45 children here on some nights, and in summer there have been as many as 60 members a day, so there's always a lively atmosphere.
Q: What makes St Andrew's such an important part of the community?
A: A lot of what we focus on here is sensitive and responsible citizenship and respect for others. The club serves the hidden communities in Mayfair and Belgravia. Our members are from a diverse mix of backgrounds and reflect the diverse Westminster area, and there's a real sense of equality. We do what we can to give young people a step up and help them get the best out of life. There's a 16-year-old girl here called Sarah whose mum died two years ago, and she was a carer at home. We discovered after talking to her teacher that she had deteriorated academically and socially. After being at St Andrew's Club doing creative activities, we saw a marked improvement and she now teaches her peers at a workshop on graffiti art that we pay her to run one evening a week. She has an exceptional talent and loves teaching other kids.
Q: What is the future of St Andrew’s?
A: We're funded by individuals, companies and organisations, but recently we lost a large chunk of our funds in the form of council funding. We'd love to be able to open in summer as we have for the past two years, but it's uncertain whether we have the funding to do so. We also want to be able to continue taking kids on residential trips, as this is important for those who live in blocks of flats and may not get to experience space and fresh air outside London. We do the work we do because we believe that prevention is better than cure, and we've helped countless boys and girls over the years, sometimes for the majority of their lives, from the age of five upwards. Not many charities can offer that. Former members bring their children and grandchildren here and even go on to work here, so I'd love to see St Andrew's continue to be such a vital fixture for youth in Westminster for many more generations to come.
St Andrew’s Club, Alec Wizard House, 12 Old Pye Street, London SW1P 2DG
020 7222 6481
www.standrewsclub.com