Soho’s beloved House of St Barnabas set for permanent closure with pandemic and ceiling collapse blamed
The House of St Barnabas, a members’ club and charity based on Soho Square, will be permanently closed according to an email sent to members today.
The announcement was unexpected, with events still listed on the club’s website.
The charity – which was founded in 1862 – set up a members club to generate additional revenues for its charitable work helping the homeless in 2013.
Founding members of the club included London arts and entertainment luminaries including Jarvis Cocker and Miranda Sawyer.
The club’s management blamed the pandemic for starting a process which led to the closure.
The members club took hospitality in-house in 2020, with the alternative being closure.
“The challenges that we have faced through the pandemic and subsequent years have eroded our financial reserves,” the club said in its email.
“We invested for growth this financial year and tried relentlessly to find ways to make the model work. But the returns did not come quickly enough.”
A ceiling collapse over the summer of 2023 cost the House of St Barnabas vital income and despite an insurance payout, the business model is “simply not sustainable.”
Evelyn Partners will be appointed as liquidators of the company after an orderly wind-down.
The iconic building and chapel at the top of Greek Street will be held in trust for charitable purposes.
Homeless individuals that have gone through the firm’s Employment Academy – which gave those without permanent homes skills they needed to rebuild their lives – will be supported by the charity Only A Pavement Away.
The club’s email said it had explored other opportunities to keep the charity in operation.