A brief history of Grove Vale Youth Club

Grove Vale Youth Club was founded in 1946 by Ethel “Cap” Wellsted, captain of the 100th Girls’ Life Brigade Company based at Rye Lane Baptist Church, and her husband Arthur, also known as Willie.

They started off running weekly Sunday schools at their house on Oglander Road, but as the number of attendees grew, they soon needed larger premises and moved the club to Grove Vale school (now Goose Green primary).

In the late 1950s the club obtained permission to build a clubhouse on a piece of derelict land next to Christ Church on McDermott Road in Peckham, where they have been based ever since.

Former attendees include singer Carl Douglas, who is known for his international hit single, Kung- Fu Fighting, and ex-professional footballer Gavin McGowan, who played for Arsenal and Luton Town.

The club is run entirely by volunteers, many of whom are also members of the Christ Church congregation. In previous years the club has received a small annual grant from Southwark Council, however the club now mainly relies on donations to maintain its work.

Evening activities for children aged four and above include football, table tennis, badminton, pool, air hockey, table football, some electronic games and arts and crafts sessions. In previous years right upto covid, the club transported children to an annual summer camp for children aged seven-plus.

The current club leader John, 85, joined the club aged 15 and took over the leadership in 1992. He met his wife Joan there and they have been married for over 60 years.

Hello and welcome to our Youth Club! We have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

Greetings from Grove Vale.

Thank you for your interest in Grove Vale Youth Club. We hope you will find the following information helpful in learning more about us.

Where and When

We meet at Grove Vale Youth Club, entrance near the intersection of Reedham Street and McDermott Road in Peckham.

For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early. Please be aware that McDermott road has parking restrictions until 6.30pm, but you should be able to find a space on another street nearby.

On arrival, do please come in and reach out to one of the adult volunteers to let us know that you are new.

Session Times

Monday 6pm – 7.45pm
Girls Years 6–10

Tuesday 6pm - 7.30pm
Girls Reception to Year 5:

Wednesday 6pm – 7.45pm
Boys Years 6–10

Thursday 6pm – 7.30pm
Boys Reception to Year 5

Is there a Charge?

The First session is free!

To cover the cost of our maintenance and overheads, we do request for just £1 per session. This can be paid in cash upon arrival each evening (or for a few weeks in advance).

If cost is an issue, please do still come, and speak to the club leader to let them know your interest.

The Session

The children and young people take part in organised games and team activities. In the course of the evening, one of our leaders will then give a brief, applicable, bible based talk to the children.

For pictures around some of our activities, please see Club Activities.

girls and hoops

What about my shy kids?

You are welcome to stay and watch your child for the first session, for as long as it takes for them to feel comfortable.

We are confident that after a few sessions, your child will enjoy coming and you can confidently leave them until pick up time.

With over 70 years experience, we have dealt with a large variety of children and our team of volunteers are fully capable of working with your child and helping them enjoy integrating into the club!

The kids group activities vary depending on their age, but you can always expect a friendly welcome along with team games and possibly arts, crafts or cooking. Please pick your children up as soon as the club session finishes.

Why not come along and visit us. Introduce yourself to one of our team and we will do everything possible to help your child settle in.

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Prize Giving

Our Youth group has many exciting activities and opportunities for young people to make friends, and enjoy a bit of friendly competition.

The children and young people collect points throughout the school year, with frequency of attendance and participation in competitive games comprising a key part.

Typically at the end of the school year in July, the club holds its annual parents evening / prize giving, giving awards and certificates to the children for various proficiencies (eg in sports or crafts).

Each age group/category has an award section for the children /young people attending that session, and attendance plays a huge part in earning points!

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the club beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions?

We will contact you by email or phone to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit. Thanks for your interest, and we look forward to seeing you soon!