YMCA Hawker

Kingston Founded

According to the Surrey Comet, published 01/06/1862, founded in March in the Kingston Congregational Church, Reverend Lawrence Byrnes invited the men of the area for coffee in his vestry. It was so popular, meetings continue every Wednesday with prayer, studies, discussions and lectures. It remained independent until the early 1860s.

A Setback in the Early Years

As his vestry coffee meetings were central to the establishment of the Kingston branch, when Reverand Lawrence Byrnes left the borough, the group began to falter. As YMCA has its local community at the heart of its work, his personal involvement was sincerely missed.

Brick Lane is in my ears and in my eyes

Following the departure of Reverend Lawrence Byrnes, a New Association was set up in Brick Lane Baptist Church. It began to go further beyond solely providing spiritual help and instead had more of a practical focus than the Reverend’s group ever had.

Help Provided for All Areas of Life

Feeling it important to provide for the community, YMCA Kingston had begun running evening classes, such as arithmetic, reading, writing and shorthand. It also established the Association Library, a room in Market Place, which was free to all young working men every evening from 7 to 10pm, except on Sundays.

Surbiton Struggling

Just a decade in, YMCA Surbiton begins to falter, struggling to find funding and numbers and eventually closes. It remained closed for three years until it was able to re-open in May 1882 and then combine with YMCA Kingston in 1885.

Hitting a Six

Needing a more centralised location, the Hawker Aircraft Company helped build the YMCA Hawker. Prizing both fitness and community, Hawker became the host of charity cricket matches to help rebuild the Oval following World War Two. The final one was an international match between England XI and the Commonwealth XI.

Rebuilding the Community

Following World War Two, the YMCA helped the community to heal. By offering housing, sports and education for the local residents, they were able to have a fresh start and even more importantly, a place they could find comfort and restoration in.

Many Mouths to Feed

Audrey Giles, author of It started With Coffee in the Vestry, a history of YMCA Kingston and Surbiton, attended Eden Street for the first time when she was just ten. She admiringly describes how it ‘Was always full of hungry young men […] fed by a resolute number of ladies’.

Above and Beyond

Alice Kendall, who had originally introduced Audrey Giles to the YMCA, received the Order of the Red Triangle at Guildhall, Kingston. It is a prestigious award presented to those who have gone above and beyond for the organisation. It continues to be awarded, such as to Benjamin Grimsey in 2018.

A Chance to Recharge and Rejuvenate

Peter Giles, later Board member of Kingston and Surbiton until 1990 and a member of the Housing Committee until 2000 (and husband to Audrey Giles) joined the YMCA when he was sixteen. At least once a week he would play billiards or snooker, finding it a much needed relief.

As You Know It Today

The centre was initially an aircraft factory during the war but wanting to move away from the image of conflict and instead promote peace in the area, it was transformed into the YMCA. Since then, Hawker has been a cornerstone of the community of Kingston.

Making it official

The YMCA began to lease the Hawker Centre from the Royal Borough of Kingston. This meant that Hawker could manage the building more flexibly and securely. It also shows that, with a fixed contract, it is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

It Started With Coffee in the Vestry

The historian and YMCA committee member, Audrey Giles, wrote the book, It Started With Coffee in the Vestry, covering the history of YMCA Kingston and Surbiton from 1858-1905. This is where we get much of the detail on the development of the organisation and insights into personal stories.

Joining the Rest

Hawker merged with the other YMCAs in West, Southwest and East London forming the St Paul’s Group, a nod to the YMCA’s origins as it was George Williams’ bible study, held in the churchyard, that started it all. Having the group means the centres can provide extensive services among them.