Meet James from the Pedro club

Tell me a bit about yourself?

I was born in 1959 and brought up by my grandmother in Jamaica. I came to England when I was nine years old to join my parents. I enjoyed making kites and anything sporty (cricket was the main sport, also Judo). Young people nowadays don’t really have the same freedom.

Tell me about the Pedro Club, what do you feel makes this club special?

Pedro Club has been going since 1929, I started in the early 90’s. Many have come here and changed their lives around. We allow people to come in and be themselves. If they come in and do something wrong we correct them. The rules are strict, no swearing and no bullying.

What activities do you do here?

And what’s the age range of people who attend? Variety is key here and we try to offer a little bit of something for everyone - keeping your body moving is hard, but the benefits in later life definitely makes it worth it! On Tuesdays and Thursdays boxercise for women, men’s classes, two mixed classes 5-16 and 16 & over, currently free for all. Our age range varies from 82 - 5 years old. We also have a football pitch at the back.

What’s your role at the club?

I would just say I look after the place because boxing was my background. I just said to myself I have to put something back in for the youth.

Have you had any famous people pass through the doors?

If so, can you name a few?

• Mike Tyson

• Patrick (Rudolph Walker) from Eastenders

• David Cameron, so many people…

I’ve also met the Queen. She made me nervous and the only other person to make me nervous was my mum. She is a lovely lady.

What do you love about what you do here?

I want to be able to leave Pedro Club for the youth when I’m not here. I love what I do and really enjoy seeing the impact that physical activity can have on people of all ages, young and old - I 100% look forward to seeing the community come together and move more. If you would like to get involved and do something for your community - why not volunteer with the Pedro Club over the summer for more information please contact info@pedroclub.com

Find out more information about King’s Park Moving Together.