ALFORD HOUSE

The School, Old Millhillians and former members of staff have been involved with Alford House Youth Club in Lambeth for almost 100 years. This remarkable association began in 1923 when Alford House Founder Frank Briant visited Mill Hill School at the invitation of Ridgeway Housemaster, Norman Brett Jones, and spoke to the senior boys in the House about it. One or two were so interested and inspired that they volunteered at the Club after they left school. Some went on to become instrumental in the survival and success of Alford House over the next century, many have been trustees and generous donors of time and money. Their names would be familiar to OMs across the generations. There are today eight OM Trustees and two former members of MHS staff. 

Alford House was founded in 1884 in Briant’s words “to promote the mental, moral, physical and spiritual wellbeing of the young people of Lambeth”. The aims haven’t changed but of course the way in which they are achieved have evolved over the years. Alford House is open to young people aged 8-21 and offers a variety of sports, games, creative, educational and recreational activities in a safe and secure environment that is managed by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers. It also supports some of the most vulnerable in local schools. More details of all of this can be found on the Alford House website.

The story of Alford House and the involvement of so many members of the Mill Hill community in the past are told in this short history published in 2021 View here.

The future of this involvement is positive as well. The CEO of the Mill Hill School Foundation has visited Alford House and Head of Mill Hill Jane Sanchez is a Trustee; both have indicated a desire to have an active relationship with it. 

The Trustees have embarked on an ambitious and exciting plan for the refurbishment of the building which has been the Club’s home since 1950/51 to give the Club’s management what it needs to serve the young people of the area in the 2020s. This £2m+ initiative is called Alford@70; you can see details here.  This project is being managed by the Alford House Trustees Development Committee, ably chaired by William Maunder Taylor who is joined by Nigel Baker, Jon Rosswick, Chris Lloyd and Nick Priestnall. The cornerstone of the fundraising is the sale for development of land adjacent to the Club buildings; this was achieved in February 2023 and the architects are working on the plans for the refurbishment to start in November 2023. 

The initial fundraising target of £2m has been passed! This is great news. However, construction inflation over the last three years has hurt this project very badly and what it was hoped to achieve for £2m will now likely cost £2.6m. Additional fundraising will still be required. 

Old Millhillians will be invited to visit Alford House in autumn 2024 to mark the centenary of their association with the it and to see it in action and learn about the plans for the future. 

Alford House is always happy to hear from Old Millhillians who would like to be involved with this special place which does so much great work for and with the young people of one of the most deprived boroughs of London.