History

One KX is located in what was once the Tonbridge Club. Founded as the City Mission of the Tonbridge School in 1882, in a hut on Judd Street in the Holy Cross, St. Pancras. The Club moved to the building we see today in the 1930's and boasted a gymnasium, theatre, canteen and squash court. From its opening, until the late 1980's, the club was held in high regard by the local community and played a significant part in the lives of thousands of young people. An active and successful programme developed which even included boys’ ballet! In the 1990's the Club closed and in 2001 Central YMCA were approached by the voluntary management committee to take over this 10,000 sq ft, five-storey building. Following extensive local consultation, feasibility studies and a £1.7 million fundraising campaign, Central YMCA took over ownership, development and management of the site. In October 2005 the builders moved in and the first phase of restoration began.

Now the building work is all but complete and programme development has begun under the following guiding core values:

• Respect for self and others
• Celebration of diversity and multi-cultural communities
• Inclusivity for all people
• Peace and spirituality
• Unleashing creativity
• Enabling transformation of lives and spaces
• Sharing, working and learning together
• Creating enthusiasm to engage and learn

Vision
To make King’s Cross a healthy and learning community

Mission
To provide inspiration, education and opportunities for health in mind, body and spirit, with and for the community of King’s Cross

Objectives:

1. Transform One KX into an inspirational, flexible and creative centre that is attractive to a range of different users
2. Develop and deliver a range of innovative physical activities, arts, training and social initiatives to the local community
3. Explore and evaluate creative and new approaches to engaging young people, older adults and the local black and minority (BME) community in health-based activity
4. Provide a route through which local people can become trained, gain experience and access to voluntary and employment opportunities in the health and fitness, childcare and creative industries
5. Develop and harness the creativity of local people (particularly young people) and constantly look for new effective ways that allow them to shape their own community
6. Develop mutually beneficial partnerships with a range of bodies to share ideas, resources and learning, and encourage cooperative working
7. Make One KX an effective and sustainable social enterprise