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Central YMCA Club

@centralymcaclub

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Our 112 Great Russell Street site is now closed. This page will stay active to share any important updates.

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📢 Listing update + Charity Launch 📢 This is a critical moment 🔴

Historic England has now issued its Consultation Report on the Central YMCA building, and final public comments are being accepted until 19 December.

We believe the report underplays both the historic and architectural significance of 112 Great Russell Street. In particular, it separates the building’s architecture from its social purpose - when in reality, they were designed together as a single, holistic vision for wellbeing, community and public life.

Historic England will make its final recommendation to DCMS after this stage. Your support right now really matters.

📧 To support our response and call for Grade II* listing, email:
Luke.Jacob@HistoricEngland.org.uk
Ref: Case 149558

If you haven’t received Historic England’s report or our detailed response - or would like guidance on what to include - email us at:
coordination@savetheymcaclub.org

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🏠 The Central YMCA building is now up for rent. But is this a genuine attempt to find a tenant- or the start of a redevelopment play?

The building in question was home to the world’s 1st YMCA and welcomed 10,000+ people a year: for swimming, language classes, dance, recovery & community.

Now, it’s being marketed with little reference to that history and with no public pricing.

So what’s going on?

📑 Under Camden planning policy, if a developer wants to change a building’s use, they must first market it in its current form for at least 12 months, at a realistic price, agreed with the council where possible.

This process is meant to prove the space is no longer viable for its existing use and to protect valued sites from being redeveloped too easily.

In a recent article by the @thelondoner_mag , it appeared Criterion Capital has used this method to knock down and redevelop many much loved community pubs.

What should the lease information show:

• Pricing should justifiable, and ideally public

• Marketing should reflect the building’s actual community/civic use

• The public should be able to understand what’s on offer and why

But in this case, there are concerns:

Has the rent been verified with Camden as realistic?

Why is the price hidden from public view?

Why no mention of the site’s civic or cultural significance beyond telling people it was a leisure centre?

We’re not opposed to leasing. We’re opposed to systematic erasure of community spaces.

We've been quiet recently, but the campaign isn't over 👍🌊

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📍 On this day in 1844, the YMCA was born — right here in Central London.

George Williams, just 22 and working in a drapery shop, gathered 11 friends in a room above St. Paul’s Churchyard. Together, they founded the Young Men's Christian Association - a refuge for young working men, offering prayer, study, and solidarity in a harsh city. ✝️📖

That small meeting sparked a global movement. 🌍
From that seed, YMCAs grew in cities across the world - transforming lives through health 🏋️, housing 🏠, education 📚, and community 🤝.

His portrait was hung just inside the entrance of the Central YMCA - now shuttered - looking proudly over what he had started.

⚠️ 181 years later, in 2025, the very first YMCA building - the Central YMCA on Great Russell Street - was sold and closed.

Its future now hangs in the balance, in the hands of property developers. 🏗️

But it’s not over.
There’s still a chance to protect this landmark.

🏛️ We’re calling on Historic England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to recognise its architectural and cultural significance — and grant it listed status before it’s too late.

✊ Support the listing:
📧 Luke.Jacob@HistoricEngland.org.uk
📧 Duncan.Wilson@HistoricEngland.org.uk
(Include Ref: 1493285 in the subject line)

#SaveCentralYMCA
#YMCAHeritage
#ProtectOurBuildings
#BrutalismMatters
#HistoricEngland
#GeorgeWilliams
#CommunityOverProfit @centralymca.uk

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We’ve made the BBC (again) - but we need your voice now more than ever 🏛️✊

@historicengland is currently deciding whether to grant Grade listed status to the @centralymca.uk building - the world’s first YMCA and one of London’s most important pieces of public architecture.

🏗️ A Brutalist megastructure with a radical civic purpose
💧 🏛️ The UK’s largest underground community centre
🏋️‍♀️ A lifeline to 10,000+ users until its recent closure
🌍 A global symbol of inclusive health & community

But it’s under threat. Without listing, the remaining community spaces could be lost - forever.

📩 Take 2 minutes to help:
Email:
luke.jacob@historicengland.org.uk /
duncan.wilson@historicengland.org.uk
📌 Ref: 1493285

Tell them why it matters - even a short note makes a difference.

Mention its architecture, its social legacy, or your own experience.

We’re so close. Let’s not let this moment pass.

#SaveOurYMCA #CentralYMCA #HeritageMatters #Brutalism #LondonHistory #PublicArchitecture #CivicDesign #ProtectWhatMatters #BuiltEnvironment #HistoricEngland #BBCNews

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@garyseconomics has gained a wide audience recently with his message on wealth inequality.

It ties in well with the YMCA story - while the club was reportedly 'forced' to be sold, the bigger question remains:

Who will the future of this site actually serve?

And if redeveloped, does it reflect a wider trend of London’s residents and workers being disadvantaged?

#CommunityOverProfit

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As property developers scramble to polish their public image, we’re left wondering—has “community” become just another corporate buzzword?

Take @criterion.capital , for example. While they claim to be on a mission to “elevate communities,” their actions tell a different story.

When locals pushed for the @centralymca.uk building - one of Criterion's latest acquisitions - to be listed as an Asset of Community Value, the company fought hard against it.

Thankfully, Camden Council stood with the community and rejected their appeal.

We’re calling out the gap between glossy branding and real-world impact. 💥 #CommunityOverProfit

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What’s next for the CYMCA Club building?

Who are the new owners and what are their plans?

Right now, the building stands silent.
Its future? Still uncertain. But the story isn’t over yet. Stay tuned.

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February dump, full of love 🩷xo

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YMCA Stories Part 26

#londoncity #london #fitness #gym #nonprofit #community #protest #londongym #londonlife #londondiaries #criterioncapital #ymca #older #olderadults #fitness #gymtok #gymmotivation #camden #ymca #centralymca #olderadults #camden #olderman #court #ymca #story #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthrecovery #mentalhealthadvocate #cancer #survival #lungcancer #stroke

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With many members willing to pay more and fees reportedly unchanged for years, there’s real hope for a sustainable future. Could testing new solutions be the key to the Club’s revival?

#saveourymca

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🔹 The fight isn’t over! Stay tuned—more detailed updates coming soon!

#saveourymca

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