History & Governance

History

Claremont has been around since 1907 and pioneered many important developments in social care and development. These included programmes in the 1920’s and 30’s which became models for the Welfare State, one of the first child care services for working women, and even free acting classes as a route out of poverty.

The building was originally built as a Christian mission attached to the rear of the main church building (which is now The Crafts Council building on Pentonville Road).

The Claremont United Reformed Church (URC), who own the freehold of the Claremont building, passed the baton of charitable work, and responsibility for the entire building in a generous lease, over to the charity in 1998 (Reg. Charity No.1070611).

The charity’s constitution sets out broad charitable aims in the service of the people of Islington and surrounding boroughs, as well as beyond. The charity is independent of the church. There is however provision for two church representatives to sit on the board.

Claremont’s new vision started to emerge in 2002, in response and reaction to institutionalized services and day centres. Who would want to go to a “day centre”, we asked, and what kinds of things would they feel about themselves if they did? With so many day centres and community centres, why were so many older people still sitting alone at home?

We wanted Claremont to be a place that we ourselves would want to visit as customers/clients and to which we would like to invite our friends and acquaintances. We wanted to be different from places where staff members, in unequal relationships, create neediness, anxiety and dependence on the part of their clients by being the rescuer or “concerned sympathetic ear”. Equally, we didn’t want to be a place defined by rules and regulations and the unwritten dogma of small established cliques.