Fight to Save The Brunswick Club from LBHF's Funding Cuts
Rt Hon Greg Hands MP for Chelsea and Fulham reporting back
Greg Hands MP visiting The Brunswick Club for Young People
April 3, 2023
Dear Resident,
Your local Youth Club needs you!
I am writing to you today about The Brunswick Club for Young People, located in Haldane Road just off the Clem Attlee Estate in Fulham.
Shockingly, the Labour-run Hammersmith & Fulham Council is threatening to end the club’s funding. A recent announcement confirmed that the club would no longer receive any financial support from the council for their youth provision for 11 to 19 year-olds. This would affect100 -150 young people who attend the senior youth club sessions each week!
As you may know, the Club was founded in 1949 with donations by British ex-Prisoners of World War II held in Brunswick, Germany. The strong traditions and values of the Club have seen it continue to thrive to the present day. Families across generations have been members. This continuity underpins the Club ethos “Brunswick 4 Life, Friends Forever”.
The Club has a membership of over 1,000 young people and is the most populated youth club in the borough. It is a key part of our Fulham community and I have served as Trustee of the club for over 20 years.
The Brunswick Club’s large centre offers young people aged 6 to 19 years a variety of physical and creative leisure-time activities in a safe, comfortable, and friendly environment. I am sure many of you will join me in dismay at the thought of young people being unable to enjoy what many Fulham residents have experienced over the years.
Local teenagers need The Brunswick Club. The decision to terminate the funding for young people aged 11 to 19 years old is unacceptable.
As I know how important this Club is for young people and the local Fulham community, I launched a petition to save The Brunswick Club from LBHF’s funding cuts.
Since launching the petition, a little over a week ago, several hundred Chelsea and Fulham residents have already signed my petition. This has been noticed at the council. On 1 April, the council have u-turned and a ‘new’ funding package for local youth clubs was suddenly announced – this is a fantastic success story of people power.
Despite this announcement, there are still questions which need answering and I will continue to put pressure on the council to establish how long is the funding for, why funding is being replaced with a bidding pot and what the amount of the funding will be.
Until the Council provides answers to these key questions, my petition goes on, and I am urging constituents to keep circulating it to friends, family and neighbours keep up the pressure on the council.
A huge ‘Thank you’ goes to Fulham Councillor Jose Afonso and the other Opposition Conservative Councillors of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham for their sterling work on this local issue.
You can show your support for The Brunswick Club by signing my petition by visiting the ‘Local Action’ section on my website: www.greghands.com
Yours sincerely,
The Rt Hon Greg Hands MP
Member of Parliament for Chelsea and Fulham
You can follow Greg on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for @GregHands
P.S. Our local teenagers need The Brunswick Club. Help me protect its funding, by signing my petition!
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