Starting life as a boys-only youth club in 1965, the Samuel Montagu Youth Centre in South-East London, has evolved over the years to become all-inclusive and provide an increasing and varied number of services to community members, including young people from challenging backgrounds. However, while the services and role of the Youth Centre increased and developed over the years, its facilities stayed largely the same and funding – particularly for youth services – began to dwindle.
Durkan Regen’s local presence and strong ties with the community meant we could see what a critical resource the centre was, both as a sports development facility and community hub but also as a way of meeting the leisure and social needs of local young people. It was clear that by engaging with the centre, we could help to deliver genuine and lasting social value, in a way that was tailored to the needs of the local community.
An essential community resource
The need, and demand, for the Samuel Montagu Youth Centre has increased significantly over the years and it caters for all age groups; from early years to older generations, there is something for everyone. Currently, it is running at full capacity with a long waiting list of organisations who want to deliver services there.
Tuan Pham, Samuel Montagu Youth Centre Director, explains: “In the late 1990s, the council became heavily involved with the centre and opened its doors to girls as well as boys, making it a hub for young people in the area. However,” Tuan continues, “by the time I joined around six years ago, the council had taken a step back and the centre didn’t receive much funding, despite serving several high-need neighbourhoods. So, my role here has essentially consisted of getting the centre back on its feet and making it as appealing as possible to young people and community members.”
The range of services offered at the Samuel Montagu Youth Centre include youth clubs that run both in and outside of term time, mental health services, and an alternative education school for students who can’t be in mainstream schooling systems. There are also very limited sports facilities in the area and as a result the centre offers essential sports provision, including football, boxing and a variety of other sports activities for all ages.
Making a difference
It was through one of these boxing clubs, Honour and Glory, that Durkan Regen first became involved with the centre. Honour and Glory is a charitable and community gym founded in 2020 that focuses on building confidence, supporting positive mental health and encouraging equal opportunities for all, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, or ability.
From an initial donation of £5000 for the club’s “fight night” to an additional donation of £10,000 for two new boxing rings, we were able to significantly improve the club’s facilities, replacing 20-year-old equipment, and supporting its long-term future. This initial engagement opened the door to a wider relationship with the centre itself. We could see what a critical facility it was and asked if we could do anything more to support their work. It transpired that a kitchen refurbishment was desperately needed.
Tuan Pham explains: “A kitchen refurbishment had been on our wish list for a long time. The kitchen is the focal point of the communal area – a real hub for everyone who uses the centre – however it was outdated, worn and an unappealing place to be. We had been putting off the refurbishment because it would have required significant funding – funding that we would rather allocate to support those members of the community that need it most.”
In response to the challenge, Durkan Regen coordinated and collaborated with a group of key supply chain partners to deliver a complete refurbishment and upgrade of the centre’s kitchen, with labour provided by Durkan Regen and Gateville Group, kitchen components from Howdens, and white goods provided and installed by Beko and Kaboodle. The result? A bright, modern, high-quality kitchen space that now serves as a central hub for the Samuel Montagu Youth Centre.
Collaborating across our supply chain
This transformation was only possible through a genuinely collaborative effort across our supply chain. At Durkan Regen, we actively engage our partners to maximise the impact of our work—ensuring that our combined expertise delivers real, measurable value to the communities we serve.
This project is a clear example of how strategic supply chain collaboration can unlock greater outcomes—not just for the immediate refurbishment, but for the long-term sustainability of the centre and its services.
Here’s what our supply chain partners had to say:
“We came and had a chat with Durkan Regen and representatives from the centre about what they wanted from their new kitchen, from design to colour scheme. We were pleased to be able to give back to the community and provide something that can enhance the lives of people who use the centre.”
Raj Ramshook, Howdens
“We heard about this project and the goal to support the Samuel Montagu Youth Centre and knew immediately that we wanted to get involved and contribute.”
Sam Priscariu, Gateville Group
“We were able to contribute to this project through the kind donation of Beko white goods from our Beko representative, Katie O’Shea, which our specialists were able to install. When Durkan Regen approached us and asked if we wanted to get involved in this project, we jumped at the opportunity as a way to give back to the community.”
Luke Smallman from Kaboodle
Long-term impact
The impact has been both positive and significant.
“The kitchen is so much more modern and appealing now – it’s a space that people actually want to be in,” Tuan reflects. “When people first saw the new kitchen, they couldn’t believe the transformation, even admitting it made them want their own kitchens refurbished! We were also consulted with by the supply chain partners from the beginning and were able to input on all aspects of the refurbishment, even down to the choice of colours.”
Critically, the new kitchen directly supports the work of the centre and the services it provides.
Tuan explains: “The kitchen is important in supporting our alternative education school. It is not only used to prepare healthy lunches for the students, but it is now a space that students can learn to respect and keep in a tidy and appealing condition.
“This is also the case for our youth club, which sometimes uses the kitchen for cooking classes. A number of our youth club members don’t come from homes where cooking and food preparation plays a prominent role, so our kitchen provides an important space where the members can learn to cook, unlocking vital life skills and opportunities to try new things and connect to food in new ways. That’s important for both physical and mental health.”
By delivering the kitchen refurbishment, we, together with our supply chain partners, have enabled the centre to direct its funds to essential services.
“The fact that Durkan Regen and all the supply chain partners carried out this refurbishment free of charge means that we can re-allocate our funds to more youth services and provisions instead of using them to upgrade our kitchen,” Tuan explains. “Equally, as one of our key funding streams is the leasing of our facilities, this new kitchen will continue to help us raise money to fund future refurbishments and ensure we can carry on providing our community with the space and support they need. The help, and genuine understanding of our needs, has been invaluable”
