A youth club in South London is celebrating its 140th anniversary with the boss saying that she believes that it has prevented many young people from turning to crime. The Devas Club in Battersea says that it offers a “safe space” for children and teenagers including music, craft, and sports activities.
First set up in 1844 with a goal of improving local youngsters’ prospects ,it is continuing to improve young people’s lives, director Marylin Ross says. A special gala dinner at Battersea Arts Centre to celebrate the “milestone” is being held on Monday, 2nd September.
Ross said that the legacy of club founder Oxford University graduate Jocelyn Devas was still alive. “The exciting thing is that 140 years ago, we had a man that came to Battersea straight out of uni and saw the need of young people, and worked with the same aims we have today,” she said.
The focus for the youth club, she added, was now to give purpose to young people who could other wise be at a risk of falling into a life of crime. “It’s about giving them somewhere to go so they don’t feel they need to hang around on the streets,” she said. “It gives them self-esteem and builds their confidence.”
Aside from the activities provided, it also runs after school provisions, picking up children from school and giving them meals as well as help with their homework. The charity has extended its hours to cover what Ross called the “vulnerable period” from 4-6pm.
But she added that it had been a battle to survive during times of government funding cuts. Although the club has remained in operation, many other youth services in the country have shut down. The YMCA estimates around 490 local authority-run youth clubs closing down in England from 2011 to 2023.
