100 YEARS OF THE BBC
Birth of the BBC sees club brought to life In the 1920s a British Institution was formed – the British Broadcasting Corporation. The BBC, as it is now universally known, was established to ‘inform, educate and entertain’, in the words of its first General Manager John Reith, speaking in 1922.
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t’s 1924. Howard Carter has just found the tomb of Tutankhamun, Judy Garland is making her show biz debut (aged just 212⁄ ), and Edwin Hubble is announcing the existence of distant galaxies. Closer to home and London is witnessing more history in the making; the BBC and the BBC Club are founded. Back in its day, the Club was funded by the BBC and formed a creative hub where media minds could get together over a drink (and a smoke) to come up with the next programme idea. Founded as a private members club, the atmosphere echoed the formality of the era and shirts and ties were required when visiting. Over the years, the Club evolved to bring people together with similar interests across a spectrum of different activities, from gliding to chess. Sections benefited from funding from the Club which enabled members to take part in activities they might not otherwise have been able to participate in, such as yachting or flying. The Club also evolved a very active section for BBC retired members, creating a social bridge back into the BBC where many had spent much of their working lives. Today, the Club is still at the heart of social unity within the BBC – albeit less formal. As the BBC has evolved over the last 100 years, the Club has evolved with it. Today it is a completely independent and self-funding operation. Gyms provide a welcome addition to improve employee well-being and the Club provides a range of benefits that extend outside the workplace such as member discounts in the high street, a private members lottery (with a quarterly jackpot of £10,000) and over 30 language courses. The old values have not been forgotten and the Club now has dozens of activity groups (Connect Clubs) linking people together through sport, arts and culture. In 2011 the Club threw open its doors to all BBC employees without the need for membership. Members, however, still benefit from reduced prices on food, drink and activities, priority booking, a free weekly Radio Times and member-exclusive events, all of which far outweigh the membership cost. The Club has extended its boundaries beyond its London sites to provide virtual offerings which mir-
14 CLUB MIRROR
1932: In the ’3 0s the BBC Cl ub team includ Club won a ca tering Club of ed three chefs. the Year Awar Nearly 80 yea d (Club Mirro rs later, the r; 2011) 1939: Club members at an afternoon card school in an era when jackets and ties were normal dress code.
1933: In a timeless scene, the Club committee enjoys a lively debate. ror the services offered in the London sites without the need for ‘physical’ premises. There may have been many significant changes in the BBC over the last 100 years, but the Club is proud to continue to provide employees with a consistent and stimulating social environment to complement their working lives. And it still lives true to those original BBC principles – to ‘inform, educate and entertain’.
