| AdminHistory | The first Brady Club for Boys was opened in Whitechapel in 1896. It was pioneered by a group of wealthy West End Jews, including Lady Rothschild. Its chief remit was to improve the quality of life for working lads from London's East End, whose families were mainly refugees from Germany and Russia. Another objective was to anglicise the boys, most of whom had Yiddish as their first language.
In its early years, the Club facilitated educational and recreational opportunities, and holidays at a network of summer camps. The Club enjoyed the leadership of some remarkable individuals in its time. One was local campaigner Miriam Moses, who founded the Girls' Club in 1921 in premises in Hanbury Street. She was later elected as the first female mayor of Stepney in 1931.
By the end of the war, the Boys' Club had moved from its original premises in Brady Street, via Durward Street, and thence to Hanbury Street, where it combined with the Girls' Club.
The Club continued to thrive as a result of an expanding programme. This included a non-denominational creche; an Old Members' Club and camps and holidays in Britain and abroad.
The Club offered amateur dramatics; sporting activities; a camera club; scouts and guides troupes and many practical workshops.
Attendance began to decline in the 1970s, owing to the dispersal of the local Jewish community to other parts of London. The last youth members left around the late 1970s.
The Hanbury Street site was sold to Tower Hamlets Council and renamed The Brady Arts and Community Centre. The original Brady Clubs moved to premises in North London.
Former members continued to organise similar events and activities. The Brady Clubs celebrated their centenary anniversary in 1996, with nearly 500 former Brady Boys and Girls meeting for an event to reminisce on their early years. Held at Queen Mary College in Mile End, event attendees included the boxer Mickey Duff and singer Georgia Brown who had attended the Brady Club in their youth. The group were welcomed by Greville Janner MP who introduced the celebrations, including a photographic exhibition of the club that was organised by former Brady Club leader Yogi Mayer. The event also launched the book 'A Club Called Brady' by former member Michael Lazarus which delved into the story of Brady's 100 years. The book also reflected the Jewish experience in the East End. Celebrations were also held in July 1996 with an open day at the Clubs' property Skeet Hill House in Kent, alongside a camp event in August, also at Skeet. The reunion was initiated by Yogi Mayer in 1994, leading to a Steering Committee that discussed the direction of the centenary celebrations. The discussions brought together all branches and ages of the Brady community for the first time. This looked to create a representative programme of events that would celebrate the experiences of the club. It was agreed that the money raised would be split between Brady Maccabi in Edgware where Brady moved to, and Skeet Hill House. See S/BRA/6/3 for the photographic exhibition and items collected by Yogi Mayer.
In 2017 The Brady Clubs and Settlement which had been registered on 24 September 1964 (charity number: 303241) transferred its funds to The Bradian Trust. The Trust (charity number: 280560) was formed in 1980. It funds the advancement of education of young people by helping them to develop their mental, spirital and physical capacities through leisure time activities.
The momentum of the original clubs continues, via reunions of past members, and its photographic archive.
Sources consulted include:
eastendarchive.org/COLLECTIONS/The Brady Club.aspx
spitalfields.com/2018/05/03at-the-brady-clubs
" Whitechapel's Brady Club Secrets uncovered in an old loft after 50 years"
(East London Advertiser: 4th April, 2018)
Bradyarchive.co.uk (Photographic Archive) |
| CustodialHistory | The first deposit was transferred in September 1981 and donated by Mr L. Lawrence with additions received with approval of Mr N. Page, Leader of Brady in August 1982. These were initially catalogued in the Stepney (STE) manuscript series before being recatalogued under S/BRA. The rest (TH/8354) was donated in 26 April 1989 by Frances Lane of the Spitalfields (Brady) Centre, Hanbury Street. |