A newly appointed custodian of the House of St Barnabas building in central London has pledged to retain the site’s charitable focus in partnership with three major charities.
The joint liquidators of the House of St Barnabas charity, which announced its closure two years ago due to financial challenges, revealed yesterday that a sole corporate trustee had been appointed to a linked charity called the House of St Barnabas-In-Soho (SBIS).
While the main House of St Barnabas charity will be dissolved, new SBIS trustee the Explorers Club (Soho) has vowed to work with homelessness charities Crisis and Centrepoint as well as the King’s Trust to “honour the house’s charitable legacy”.
The liquidators said these organisations will deliver hospitality training, mentoring programmes, workshops and specialist support to homeless beneficiaries, while hosting fundraising events at the property.
Previously called the House of Charity, the site will once again offer a private club experience to its members.
‘Honouring the house’s charitable legacy’
Established in 1862 to support those affected by homelessness, the House of St Barnabas charity closed in January 2024 due to financial challenges that eroded its financial reserves.
The charity was the sole shareholder of the House of St Barnabas Events, which operated the site as a private members club to fund its charitable activities focused on tackling homelessness.
In June 2024, Stephens and Allen instructed property consultancy Allsop to undertake the marketing of the Grade-I listed Georgian building in Greek Street.
At the time, Stephens and Allen said they were “hoping to attract proposals from charities whose purposes are compatible with those of the House of St Barnabas to build on its historic legacy”.
Allen said the appointment of the Explorers Club, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to scientific research, exploration and conservation, “ensures continuity of the charity’s work and provides a sustainable future for the building and its charitable objectives”.
The Explorers Club said it would work with the King’s Trust, Crisis and Centrepoint, to support the House of St Barnabas’ charitable purposes and ensure the house “moves into its next phase with clarity and stability”.
“In the immediate term, the focus is on responsible stewardship of the property and on aligning plans with partners,” it said. “Further details will be shared in due course through coordinated communications.
“Together, the King’s Trust, Crisis and Centrepoint are committed to honouring the house’s charitable legacy while building a future that works for the people and communities they serve – focusing on stability, hope and long-term opportunity.”
Jonathan Townsend, chief executive of the King’s Trust, said: “The King’s Trust is pleased to support this collaboration, bringing our organisations together to help more young people develop the confidence and skills they need to build stable, fulfilling futures for themselves.”
Julie Milnes, director of fundraising at Centrepoint, said: “Centrepoint looks forward to working alongside our partners as these plans develop, strengthening the support and stability young people need to rebuild, gain confidence and move towards a brighter future.”
Liz Choonara, executive director of Crisis, said: “We welcome the opportunity to work alongside partners at the House of St Barnabas to rebuild its legacy as plans develop, supporting enterprise that helps people move out of homelessness and towards stability, dignity and hope.”
