Flash mob dance to Village People hit in protest at YMCA Club sell off

Dozens of people gathered to sing and dance to the Village People’s hit song YMCA, on a pavement in Great Russell Street on Thursday.

The party flash mob was in protest against the forthcoming closure of the Central YMCA Club following its sale in a secret deal to real estate company Criterion Capital.

“The protest supports the call by the Save the Central YMCA Club campaign for a six-month pause in the closure of this key central London community facility,” said the campaign group in a media statement ahead of Thursday’s event.

Club members and staff were told in December that the much loved health and social club would be closing.

Ryan Palmer, chief executive of the Central YMCA, wrote saying the charity had been “conducting a strategic review” which had concluded the club is no longer financially viable and “will cease trading on 7 February 2025” and that it has been sold.

There had been no consultation with club members or staff.

In the immediate aftermath of the announcement a petition was launched to save the club and campaigners gained the support of councillors in the London Borough of Camden.

Nearly 7,000 people have signed the petition against the club’s closure.

In December, a spokesperson for the Central YMCA told The Fitzrovia News: “As a charity, we must always act in our beneficiaries’ best interests, and today that means recognising there are better ways we can support our communities. This sale will not only allow us to reinvest in our other gyms in London but also enable us to provide more sustainable and impactful health and wellbeing services to both existing and new communities.” 

Criterion Capital told The Fitzrovia News in December that the sale was “initiated by Central YMCA, who sought Criterion’s economic support in addressing escalating challenges”.

Omar Aziz of Criterion Capital, said: “This acquisition is a partnership founded on trust and mutual respect. From the beginning, our shared vision with Central YMCA has been to recognise the importance of this historic site, while transforming it into an economically viable and vibrant space that meets the needs of future generations, ensuring it remains relevant and meaningful to contemporary needs.”

Criterion says they will work with “local organisations and stakeholders” and Camden Council to “shape the next chapter of this building”, said a statement in December.

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