Crown and Manor Club Christmas Update

Like many of you, I first came across the Crown and Manor Club in Hackney during my time at Winchester. Old Wykehamists played a central role in its founding nearly a century ago, and their support—through funding, visits, mentorship and active involvement—has remained one of the Club’s greatest strengths.

In recent months, the national conversation has sharpened around the crisis facing boys and young men in the UK. Gareth Southgate spoke powerfully about this in his Richard Dimbleby Lecture, and many who watched Netflix’s Adolescence series were struck by the scale and urgency of the challenges today’s young people face.

In this context, Crown and Manor has never been more vital. The Club provides a safe, nurturing environment that offers boys and young men an alternative to the pull of gangs and the harmful influences they encounter online. It is a place where they build confidence and self-awareness, learn critical thinking and decision-making, develop teamwork, and discover new hobbies, sports and creative passions. For countless young men who have gone on to achieve remarkable things, Crown and Manor has been nothing short of transformative.

Yet this essential work is under real pressure. Rising running costs—rates, utilities, staff wages—combined with essential maintenance to the club’s building have placed a significant strain on our finances. We have had to draw on capital reserves to meet these needs. While the Club remains stable and we are implementing long-term plans to ensure financial security, we now need your help to rebuild the club’s financial foundation.

With recent staffing changes, renewed efforts to grow membership, strengthened partnerships in the local community, and plans to rent our facilities outside club hours, Crown and Manor is entering an exciting new chapter—one filled with promise, but requiring stability to flourish.

With your support, we can continue to change lives—today, and for generations to come.  Starting in the New Year we will be launching a fundraising campaign to support these exciting plans.  Until the Club has built up its own communications platform, we will communicate via our friends at Winchester College, underlining the close relationship between school and club. 

If you would like to talk to me or any of the Club’s trustees about our plans, please contact [email protected]

David Cornell