History of South London YMCA
South London YMCA was formed from the merger in 2005 of Croydon YMCA Housing Association and the YMCA of Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark.
Croydon YMCA Housing Association
The YMCA Movement had been started in 1844 by George Williams. Gradually the YMCA reached out into more and more communities (both nationally and internationally) and in Croydon the first YMCA meetings took place in 1861. Regular assemblies were held at two addresses – 42 and 48 George Street - and records show that the first programmes were restricted to religious activities, basically due to the lack of accommodation.
Under the guidance of Thomas Stockwell (Stockwell & Oxford furniture makers) Croydon YMCA obtained its first building, at 20 London Road, Croydon in 1879. The first year saw membership increase from 10 to 50 and the start of a library, reading room, education classes, social gatherings and public lectures.
In 1884 Croydon YMCA moved to Boswell House at 49 North End. Several well known local business men became interested in supporting the cause, and Joshua Allders (of the Allders Department stores) and John Horniman (of museum fame) became Trustees.
In the early 1890's fundraising began in earnest with support from the then chairman, Compton Rickett, formerly Mayor of Croydon. This led to the demolition of Boswell House and the opening of Jubilee House at 137 North End. The House was opened by the founder of the YMCA Movement, Sir George Williams, during the organisation's 25th anniversary year.
The house had seating for 300 people with room for a further 150 in the gallery. There was a reading room, billiards rooms, seven classrooms, a kitchen and a gymnasium with showers and plunge baths. Croydon YMCA remained in these premises for 63 years. It was at Jubilee House that the first accommodation was provided at a charge of 5/- (five shillings) a week.
During World War I the YMCA struggled on despite financial problems and was used by 316,559 servicemen between 1914 – 1918. In 1936 Hector MacDonald Bain was appointed as the first paid General Secretary and increased membership three-fold in two years and expanded the work and activities of the YMCA. Three years later the organisation purchased two old houses at 28 Wellesley Road and 1 Lansdowne Road at a total cost of £1,208.
In the same year World War II began and with Croydon having two aerodromes nearby, an important railway junction and anti-aircraft batteries the YMCA became the nerve centre for operations serving the military and civil defence personnel in South London. During this time a quiet room was set aside and prayers were held every evening at 9.30pm.
In order to raise money for new premises Croydon YMCA capitalised on the 1951 Festival of Britain Exhibition by setting up a 50 bed dormitory for tourists and charging 7/6 (seven shillings and sixpence) per night. In 1956 the foundation stone for the new YMCA premises was laid by the Bishop of Croydon, the Reverend Taylor Hughes. Two years later on 8 March 1958 the new YMCA building was opened by the Archbishop of Canterbury
In the early 1960’s numbers 3 and 5 Lansdowne Road were bought in order to extend the residential accommodation. The foundation stone was laid by the then Mayor of Croydon, Beryl Saunders in 1972. The scheme included a range of new facilities including squash courts, a swimming pool, sauna, workshop, games room, laundry and 120 self contained bedrooms. This extension was opened by Her Majesty, the Queen Mother, on 3 April 1972. Residents were charged £10 per week for a study bedroom with a private shower and toilet along with breakfast and evening meal.
Since then a number of renovations have taken place across the YMCA’s hostels and projects to meet client needs, and in 2005 the Association merged with the YMCA of Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark to become South London YMCA. The Association still continues to offer much needed and recognised support, help and guidance to the borough’s homeless, disadvantaged and excluded.
The YMCA in Lambeth
King George’s House in Stockwell Road, Stockwell in Lambeth, was built in 1904 by Arthur T Bolton, an architect much influenced by the work of Sir John Soane, who designed the Bank of England.
He was commissioned to build Ingram House (as it was then known) by the Diocese of Southwark and it was finally officially opened in 1905. The building takes the form of St Andrew’s Cross (enabling every room to have a view), built in red brick – it must have looked very impressive standing tall and aloof in its surrounding gardens.
Ingram House was opened as a residential club for young men. It contained 208 bedrooms, clubrooms, a dining room, lounge, library and smoking room, together with recreational facilities including a gymnasium, billiard room, tennis courts and a miniature rifle range.
With so few young men left after the First World War the building was handed over to the YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association) as a private residential club for ladies. Most of the young women were students at London hospitals chiefly engaged in radiography and massage. On September 11, 1936, readers of the Brixton Free Press learnt that King George’s Jubilee Trust had arranged to purchase Ingram House for a working boys’ hostel.
The Trust acted through the East End Hostels Association of which Sir Ernest Benn (grandfather of former MP Tony Benn) was President, and the building was renamed King George’s House. The hostel provided accommodation for homeless boys aged 14 to 18.
In 1950 the now John Benn Boys’ Hostel received a grant of £50,000 from King George’s trust to purchase numbers 40, 42, 44 and 46 Stockwell Road. These were four large Georgian houses fronting the entrance to King George’s House. A dentist resided in number 40 and he entered into an agreement to pay £200 per year rent. The other houses were used as more accommodation for John Benn’s young men.
In 1978 the National Council of YMCAs had, under a trust deed, the freehold site of King George’s House and attached properties transferred to them. The National Council operated housing, children’s services and recreational facilities using a local management committee. In 1999 the freehold was transferred to Lambeth YMCA. In 2004, Lambeth YMCA became part of South London YMCA Group with the freehold transferring to SLYMCA in 2005.
As well as social housing King George's House is also home to a Conference Centre, where local voluntary organisations, schools and businesses can meet, to share information, to train and to launch local initiatives, and we were honoured to receive a visit from HRH The Duke of Kent in October 2004.
However the main work of the Stockwell site is social housing and support, and King George’s House today accommodates 87 local homeless men and women, each with their own flat. The old staff accommodation has been flattened to the ground and a new block of flats is being built to accommodate vulnerable young people. The four Georgian houses have also now taken on a new life as they have been fully refurbished to create 21 brand new, very high quality flats for young people, which opened in April 2009.
