London drum and bass band Rudimental back campaign to save historic Hackney youth club

Band members Kesi and Piers with trustee Derek Williams (centre).

Award-winning London band Rudimental are backing a campaign to save an historic Hackney youth club which promotes boxing and music to steer teens away from crime.

The Pedro Club was set up in 1929 and actress Dame Elizabeth Taylor was patron for decades until her death in 2011.

The club, which was originally on Pedro Street, needs £50,000 to survive and has launched an appeal backed by the drum and bass band.

Rudimental’s Piers Aggett attended the club in his youth, claiming that is where his music began. The club has a music suite as well as boxing classes to encourage teenagers to channel their energies.

Aggett told the Standard: “I was brought up in Hackney and went to the club. I got into music there, it’s where it started. I met like minded people and we made music. It all could have been different from me I could have made wrong choices. I played football with people involved in gangs but the Pedro Club helped to give me a focus I have a lot to thank them for.”

The Pedro Club needs £50,000 to survive.
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He said he made a string of contacts at the club which helped him to success with Rudimental, which has won a Brit award and been nominated for a Mercury Prize.

He also emphasised the the importance of such clubs in helping to stem the tide of teen violence on the capitals’ streets. Four teenagers have been killed in April with eight deaths since the start of the year.

Mr Aggett said: “There is real friendship and help at the club. The guys who ran it were like father figures we all respected them. With knife crime so bad in the streets kids need somewhere to go without the likes of the club they will have nowhere to go. Hackney has now become more desirable with expensive houses and shops. The people moving in should give a little back to the community.”

Pedro was set up by philanthropist Baroness Harwood to help deprived children in the borough. Now James Cook and Derek Williams, both former boxers, run the club.

Mr Williams said the club, which is near the stretch of Hackney dubbed “murder mile” after a spate of killings in the early 2000s, said: “We need help to keep the club going. In this time when there are so many stabbings in London’s streets it is especially important we give these young people a chance.

“We understand them and where they are from because we are from the same place. We need to continue our vital work channelling the energies of these young people away from crime. At the Pedro club they learn the importance of being disciplined and then you can achieve so much. Boxing gave me a good life and I want to give something back.”

The club received a £20,000 donation after being featured on Channel 4’s Secret Millionaire ten years ago. Entrepreneur Ben Way went undercover to see the work down at the club and was so impressed he gave the money which was used for a music suite. But in recent years the club, which also runs table tennis, football and basketball tournaments as well as boxing and arts activities, has struggled.

Mr Cook, an MBE for his youth services work in Hackney and former British super middleweight champion, added: “We are a lifeline for these young people. We have helped many through our sport and music facilities but need to help many more. The streets are dangerous and we offer them a chance.”

The club has set up an appeal to raise £50,000. To donate go to www.justgiving.com/pedroclub.

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