Initially, we’ll be opening from Wednesday – Friday between 9am until 9pm. We’re aiming to extend those hours from September.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be giving you more information about how we’re keeping the House covid-secure (and what we need you to do to help with that), what member events are going to look like in a socially-distanced world and some exciting changes to our food and drinks menu. You’ll have everything that you need to know at your fingers tips and ready for your first visit back.

We’ll also be able to tell you more about our next Employment Preparation Programme, which we plan to run in October 2020. We want to make sure that everyone who joins our programme is given the tools for a world of work that is very different from the one we all knew at the beginning of the year. We’re making sure we’ve rebuilt a programme that people can come to in ways that feel safe and accessible, without losing the blend of challenging, fun and impactful work that happens at the House.

We can’t wait to tell you about what we’ve been working on, and we really can’t wait to welcome you back and show you.

But we aren’t in a hurry. We want to be certain that when we do open, we can provide complete confidence to members and guests that we are a safe place to be. We are taking our time to get this right – we are learning from best practice on how the hospitality sector is evolving, and factoring in the feedback we’ve been getting from you. As soon as we have a firm date, you will be the first to know.

Whilst times have changed, we have too. We’ve used the past months to properly look at what makes the House of St Barnabas special, what our members want from us and how we can best put our mission at the centre of all we do. Here’s a little bit about the changes we’re making:

A community-focused membership:

The first half of 2020 has shown us just how important community is – we want to make sure that ours is one that knows us, and each other, better

We’re making plans to better connect all the parts of our community. That’s you, us and our Employment Academy participants and graduates

Getting here:

We know that lots of you are nervous about using public transport and travelling to central London. We’ll be installing bike racks to give members the option to cycle and store their bikes safely, if they want to

The club:

We’re redesigning our spaces to respect social distancing rules and will ask that all members pre-book their visit using a booking system

You will be allocated a table for the duration of your visit, we’ll ask that members do not move to new tables so that we can minimise contact

We will maximise the use of technology to ensure minimal physical contact between our team members and guests

We’ll be moving away from sharing style food and drinks, and will have a new, refined menu

The Employment Academy:

We’re preparing to run our next Employment Preparation Programme later this year – in a way that’s both safe and effective for participants

We are redesigning our programmes for a post-covid world. We know that the way people are working is changing, we’ll be making sure our graduates are ready for this

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The Team is going all-out to get the House ready to welcome you back. We can’t say exactly when yet. But we can’t wait.

When we do reopen our doors, we know that the House we all return to won’t be quite the same as the House we left. There will be change. We are working hard to make sure that the House is covid-secure and we can reopen a club that members feel excited and safe to return to. If the timetable for the easing of government restrictions doesn’t allow us enough lead-in time to put processes and measures in place so that we can all feel safe to return, we’ll delay re-opening until we are confident that we have done all we can.

Our priority continues to be breaking the cycle of homelessness and we are working to strengthen and adapt the impact of our Employment Academy in the context of the significant changes for the hospitality sector caused by COVID-19. We are hoping to run our next Employment Preparation Programme before the year is out. We know the need for our work has never been greater. Since lock down began, we’ve worked with more than 100 graduates from all of our programmes, now our focus is helping more people navigate the easing of lock down restrictions and what this means for them and their employment.

We’ll be sharing more about our reopening plans in our member newsletters over the coming weeks. We’ll share what this means for our members our impact. Please get in touch if there is anything that you’re unsure about.

Thank you so much for continuing to support House of St Barnabas through this.

We can’t wait to welcome you back.

The events from the last month weigh heavy on us and it is clear that all of us who want to stand in allyship need to do more, and do better. Louder voices are needed, but so are bigger, deeper, more consistent actions.

We are taking time out of our regular programming to share anti racism resources and tools, and ideas for positive actions that can be taken to support the Black Lives Matter movement. These resources have been curated by the team at the House of St Barnabas, we are engaging with and using them too.

We’re committed to listening, learning and doing more. If you think we’ve missed something vital, please let us know.

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Reading: articles & books
The American Nightmare – To be black and conscious of anti-black racism is to stare into the mirror of your own extinction (The Atlantic) – By Dr Ibram X Kendi, Director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University.

From Minneapolis to London: who polices the police? (Freedom News) – a piece looking at claims that police brutality “isn’t as bad” in the UK.

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race – by Reni Eddo-Lodge
Exploring everything from eradicated black history to the inextricable link between class and race, Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race is the essential handbook for anyone who wants to understand race relations in Britain today.

Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of the Empire – by Akala
In this unique book Akala takes his own experiences and widens them out to look at the social, historical and political factors that have left us where we are today. Covering everything from the police, education and identity to politics, sexual objectification and the far right, Natives speaks directly to British denial and squeamishness when it comes to confronting issues of race and class that are at the heart of the legacy of Britain’s racialised empire.

Brit(ish) – by Afua Hirsch
The Sunday Times bestseller that reveals the uncomfortable truth about race and identity in Britain todayYou’re British. Your parents are British. Your partner, your children and most of your friends are British. So why do people keep asking where you’re from?

The UK Black Writers Forum has shared a list of black-owned bookshops in the UK. Many are offering online orders whilst doors are closed, read the full list here.

Watching: film & TV
The 13th  (Netflix) – Ava DuVernay’s award winning documentary analyses the criminlisation of African American’s and the boom in the prison industry through conversations with scholars, activists and politicians.

When They See Us (Netflix) – a dramatisation of the arrest and wrongful conviction of the Central Park 5 in the spring of 1989.

Black and British: A Forgotten History (BBC) – The BBC is re-airing this 2016 documentary series from historian David Olusoga as he explores the enduring relationship between Britain and people whose origins lie in Africa. It’s back on BBC 4 from Monday 15^th June.

Listening: podcasts
1619 – an audio series on how slavery has transformed America, connecting past and present through the oldest form of storytelling.

We Need to Talk About the British Empire – through six intimate conversations with a new generation of writers and historians – journalist Afua Hirsch tries to break through old clichés and unpick the true legacy of this complicated and difficult inheritance.

Conversations with Nova Reid – Nova Reid is a diversity and anti racism campaigner, TEDx speaker and writer, and is here to help you recognise your own power in being the change you want to see in the world. Her podcasts brings raw, unedited conversations about life, through the lens of race.

Action
Sign the petition asking the Department of Education to update GCSE reading lists to help battle racism.

Support the work of social enterprise The Black Curriculum, which aims to “reimagine the future of education through Black British history”.

Livity has an amazing network of young people looking for mentoring support. They are talented, driven and creative so you are guaranteed to not just be helping them, but to also learn things and gain a different perspective, email Emily Goldhill  if you are interested.

Follow and support the Black Lives Matter movement.

Closing the House means the loss of key income streams overnight; private hire, new members and funds we receive from our catering partner Baxterstorey. Alongside prioritising supporting the vulnerable people that have experienced homelessness and need us now more than ever, we are also cost-saving wherever we can. This means furloughing some staff and senior members of staff volunteering to take a pay cut. We face a funding deficit this year and are doing all we can to make sure we’re still here on the other side of this virus. We’ve been really touched to hear from many of you who, despite facing uncertainty and worry yourselves, have asked us how you can help. Below are a whole heap of things you can do, but it’s not exhaustive. Get in touch if there’s something you want to do not mentioned here; we’re all ears!

Making a donation online
Donate to change the lives of people affected by homelessness and social exclusion. If you are a UK tax payer please email us your Gift Aid declaration which will allow us to recover an additional 25% from the Government at no extra cost to you.

‘Donate the difference’
If you are currently working from home, how much are you saving on your commute, coffees and lunches? Can you save it up and donate it at the end of the month? Some members of the Club have got in touch to donate what they might normally spend on lunch and drinks in the House!

Employee Payroll Giving
Payroll Giving is a way for employees to donate to any UK-registered charity directly from their gross pay (i.e. before tax is taken). In order to operate the scheme your employer needs to contract with a recognised Payroll Giving Agency such as the Payroll Giving Team. Set up your regular donation, pre-tax here.

Matched Giving
Many companies are offering to match donations made to charities; Barclays have just announced a special fund to do so. Can your company help in this way by matching any donations you make?

Give while you shop
Lots of us are still shopping from home, whether that’s an office chair or handwash! Join Give as You Live and we’ll receive donations every time you shop at over 4,000 places including John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Waterstone’s, Boden, Boots, Trainline, Just Eat, Curry’s and many more. If you shop on Amazon, please always start at https://smile.amazon.co.uk and make sure you’ve chosen to give to the House of St Barnabas. We receive 0.5% of the net purchase price.

Making a Will
When you are making a will, your first concern will naturally be for your own family and friends. We are also really grateful when people remember the House of St Barnabas. This Saga guidance outlines the different ways you can leave a legacy to a charity. Help us keep breaking the cycle of homelessness for years to come. If you make a pledge in this way, please let us know.

The House of St Barnabas’ mission is to break the cycle of homelessness, delivered through its social enterprise members club and integrated Employment Academy. It has never been more important to engage community to increase and amplify this work. Mission is what makes membership of the House of St Barnabas unique, and everyone at the House of St Barnabas is excited about the energy and experience that Gillian brings to lead on growing and engaging our membership in support of this.

Chief Executive of the House of St Barnabas, Rosie Ferguson, said: “We could not be more excited to have Gillian join our team. Her combined passion for culture, enterprise and impact make her the perfect fit for the House of St Barnabas. We know Gillian will make a critical contribution through this challenging time and ensure we are looking to the future with insight and optimism.”

On her appointment, Gillian Jackson said: “The world is changing, and businesses will need to rethink their approach to community, brand and culture now more than ever. I am passionate about working for an organisation that puts rights at the heart of its mission. Like Livity, the House of St Barnabas was built on the belief that creative participation is most one of the most effective routes to get people out of inequality, which is central to the work that I do. I am excited to hit the ground running and build a diverse, culturally relevant and thought-provoking strategy for the business.”

The recruitment process for the Director of Engagement role was led by Prospectus.

Dear Members,

It is with a very heavy heart that I write to let you know that our wonderful House of St Barnabas is now closed until further notice.

While the club is closed, our priority remains supporting graduates from our Employment Academy, many of whom had made great progress in their lives and are now finding themselves at risk of being out of work. Our Employment Academy team is in touch with all of our graduates to understand their individual circumstances so we can offer all of the practical support and guidance that we can.

How we will continue to support you

Your membership is still open. The House of St Barnabas goes far beyond our four walls, and we know you need community more than ever. We’re busy creating plans to keep our community connected, inspired and entertained from afar during the closure period. Keep an eye on your inboxes and our social media channels for more about this soon.

How you can continue to support our mission 

We’ve been really touched to hear from many of you who, despite facing uncertainty and worry yourselves, have asked us how you can help. In time, we’ll be able to share more about how you can help our participants and graduates, but for now there’s one simple ask. Can you make a donation to support our work? Our graduates see us as a trusted friend and we’re being inundated with requests for help. For those in a precarious position, you can help us support them to make sure they don’t fall back into homelessness. If you can, please donate here.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for being members and supporting us to break the cycle of homelessless. I would also like to thank our brilliant team in the Club and in the Charity who have worked  with dedication, commitment and charm to make us the special place that we are. The House is almost 300 years old and has been operating as a charity since 1862. It’s weathered some rocky times. We’ll be drawing on all of its resilience to help us move through this challenging period.

In the meantime, please take care of yourself. This is such a strange and difficult time for all of us and we hope that you are all staying safe and sane through the uncertainty.

From Rosie and all of the team at the House of St Barnabas.

Rosie Ferguson

Chief Executive

Dear Members,

We hope you’re doing okay in what continues to be a difficult and unpredictable time.

For now, we are remaining open with a reduced offer. Our focus will be providing workspace for people who wish to come to work here at a distance from one another.

Following government guidance, we’re asking members not to come to the club to socialise. We have taken the decision to cancel all member events, music events and DJ nights for the foreseeable future. If you had booked tickets for one of these events, we’ll be contacting you directly.

The health and safety of our members, staff and participants continues to be our number one priority, so we’re taking the following measures:

• We’ll be open Monday – Friday, from 10am until 8pm, and will be serving a bar menu
• We have reduced maximum capacity in the club to 50 members / guests (our usual capacity is 325). If you want to check that there is space before you arrive, please call our reception team on 0207 437 1894
• We will be operating a cashless bar, only accepting payments by card
• We have increased health, safety and hygiene measures, including the provision additional hand sanitiser and soap throughout the House and an increased cleaning regime

We continue to follow the advice of the UK’s Chief Medical Officer and we are prepared to respond to this when needed. We’d like to remind you to follow guidance from public health authorities – if you are unwell, please stay at home and away from others. For more information, please refer to the Department of Health & Social Care website.

Our Employment Academy team are prioritising supporting our graduates who are in precarious work or housing situations. This is a particularly difficult time for people in these vulnerable groups, and we’re committed to offering all practical help and guidance that we can.

We know that this is a difficult time for everyone. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support for House of St Barnabas and the people we are here to help. We really appreciate it.

Rosie Ferguson
Chief Executive