A local charity is campaigning to buy the hall they’ve used to host sport and recreational clubs for nearly 100 years.
York Railway Institute (York RI) is a cornerstone of community sports and activity in York, and the charity is hoping to purchase the Queen Street Sports Centre ahead of their lease expiring in 2027.
Without this, they risk having to vacate and relocate their community activities.
The building’s owner, Network Rail, has given York RI the option to buy the site, prompting the charity to launch a major fundraising campaign to raise £100,000.
York RI has occupied the Queen Street site since 1926, providing a wide range of community led sports clubs for people of all ages for almost a century.
There’s weekly sessions for a variety of different sports, including badminton, judo, football, squash, and more.
With the charity’s ten year lease coming to an end in April 2027, the York RI team is organising various fundraising events to raise the funds to secure the future of the site.
Should the sale be successful, the York RI team said it would then allow them to look to the future and apply for grant funding to modernise the facilities.
Sean Heslop, chairman of the board of trustees, said: “This place isn’t just a sports centre, there’s nothing else like it in York. The variety of sports and activities it offers, right in the centre of town, is an asset we need to preserve.
“Thousands of people have played, trained, volunteered, and even grown up here. With the help of our members and our community, we hope to preserve its legacy and build something even better for the future.”
The fundraising campaign kicks off with a 24-hour “badminton-athon” fundraiser from 2 August.
Other planned events include a ‘Big Fat Quiz of the Century’, an ‘100th Anniversary Gala’, and a ‘Buy a Brick’ initiative, with more details to be revealed soon.
The history of the site
The York Railway Institute was founded in the 19th Century by Henry Tennant, as a place for railway workers in York to further their education.
Originally, it housed a dining room, library, smoking and games room, and three classrooms.
In the 1920s, part of the locomotive erecting shop next door at the carriage works was converted into a gymnasium. Over time, as the demand for physical activities grew, the focus shifted from education to sport.
What was once the area that housed a boxing ring in the 1950s is now home to nine badminton courts, used daily by York residents.
York RI hopes the community will get behind the campaign and help keep this much-loved sports centre running for years to come.
For information on the fundraisers, click here.
