Union Jack Club, Cyberpoint client

B E S P O K E W E B S I T E D E S I G N

Thank you for visiting the Cyberpoint web site. This is a page about one of our clients, the Union Jack Club.

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About the Union Jack Club

The Union Jack Club is a private members club for serving and ex-serving military personnel of many countries, together with the emergency services such as police, fire and ambulance.

Ideally situated close to many of London’s top attractions the Club offers an excellent base for you or your family whilst in London. With over 280 bedrooms ranging from singles, twins, doubles and even flats, we offer outstanding value for money as do our bars and restaurant.

As the premier armed forces Club with established relationships with the majority of service societies and associations we are the perfect venue for every occasion, from reunions and formal meetings to social events or a weekend treat.

Accommodation at the Union Jack Club is available to Members, Officers and Temporary Members of the Club as well as their families. Full Members can also bring up to 4 civilian guests. We have a wide variety of bedrooms to suit most requirements; single, twin or double rooms with ensuite or shared facilities. Families are welcome to stay in one of our family suite which have twin/or double room as well as two bunk beds for children up to 12 yrs old. Alternatively, we also have 3 fully furnished flats which can accommodate a family up to 6 persons each. Please note that the flats are available to families only and for a minimum stay of 2 days.

About Corporate events

The Union Jack Club is building on a highly successful track record of providing superb conference facilities at some of the most competitive rates in London. A dedicated corporate events team with a can-do attitude ensures our established list of repeat clients want to - and do - come back. You will too when you and your delegates experience what we have to offer. Attention to detail is second nature for us and our event personnel are here to assist you with your every need when making your booking and throughout your stay.

We have a wide range of flexible accommodation, some completely new and well equipped with the latest audio and video conferencing technology and multiple secure wifi channels. We can also offer traditional club-style rooms which are ideal for those more select events, and yet which are also well equipped for meetings.

Together with the full range of high quality catering that we offer, we are the perfect venue for seminars, product launches, committee meetings, team development, board meetings, receptions, break-out sessions and client entertainment. Your event will take place in a secure atmosphere with assured privacy.

If you're looking for conference facilities that are centrally located, exceptionally good value and just a bit different from the rest, then look no further! The Union Jack Club is the answer.

A great event is distinguished by the quality of catering, from a refreshing cup of coffee on arrival to a full-service menu. The Union Jack Club excels at catering. Our outstanding chefs and catering staff are able to provide for every need, from light refreshments for a meeting, to lunch or dinner, up to and including a full six course banquet.

Your meeting or event at the Union Jack Club will be supported with the latest in conferencing technology. All rooms have Broadband WiFi available, and digital overhead projectors are built-in to several rooms. The Disney Suite features a state-of-the-art multimedia rear-projection system to meet the most sophisticated requirements. Standard OHP equipment and flip charts are also available. We can supply all your stationery needs as well - notepads, pens etc - including custom printing if required.

All rooms have top-quality tea and coffee making stations and some rooms also have mini-fridges. Beverages and food of all types can be served to your rooms if required, our rooms can also be configured for private dining and a full high-quality restaurant service is available. All rooms are fully climate controlled, and all our furniture is new, meaning that the comfort of your delegates is assured. We have experienced and helpful staff on-hand to ensure your event proceeds problem free.

History of the Union Jack Club

King Edward VII accompanied by Queen Alexandra, officially opened the club in July 1907. Since then around 15 and a half million people have stayed here (the 15 millionth guest was recorded on 31st January 2000). The year 2004 is therefore the 100th Anniversary of the Club.

The idea in creating this wonderful Club came from a courageous and resourceful lady called Ethel McCaul, a Royal Red Cross nurse, who was serving in Field Hospitals during the South African war at the turn of the 20th Century. She was adamant that her brave servicemen should be shielded from the debauchery and wickedness which abounded in London, particularly around Waterloo, and that they and their families should have somewhere to stay. After all, the officers had their clubs so why should not those below commissioned rank. Waterloo seemed the obvious place as this was the principal railhead leading to the ports and garrisons which served the Empire.

The Club naturally found itself in great demand during both World Wars and its resources were fully stretched. Interestingly, for many years after the First World War an annual donation was sent anonymously to the Club. It appeared regularly and with each payment came a note with the words "In gratitude for a scrap of comfort". After many years these payments ceased and the words of this anonymous donor are today commemorated by a marble plaque sited in the Reception Area. The poignancy of the words perhaps sum up best the Union Jack Club's tradition of service to those who serve our country.

During the Second World War the area around Waterloo Station was bombed severely and the Club itself was damaged. Referring to this period, the then Secretary of State for War said, "The Club carried on its work under the shadow of death of German bombs, but, like other institutions over which the Union Jack Flies, it has survived and will always do so. From my flat in London I have looked out on most mornings over the past five years and have always been greatly encouraged to see it still standing four square, to a great deal besides all that the winds blow, and during that five years it has provided lodgings for more than a million servicemen, in addition to having catered for well over three million meals".

The Club building was now becoming increasingly expensive to maintain, while at the same time habits were changing. It was the swinging 60's and national standards of living were rising, together with people's aspirations. The Club was in urgent need of modernisation of its amenities, its decor and the way it conducted its business; in short a great leap forward was required. It was therefore decided in 1970 to pull down the old Edwardian edifice and construct a completely new building in its place.

Demolition work began in 1971 and the building contractors moved in the following year. The Club opened for business in its new premises on 16th October 1975 and the Queen, our Patron-in-Chief, formally opened it on 12th February 1976.

The period between the mid 70's and 80's was a challenging and difficult time for the Club. The size of the Armed Forces had been reduced drastically owing to the Government's policy of having withdrawn from its role as a World Power and having only very few garrison commitments East of Suez; thus there was a lesser number of service personnel passing through London. Surface trooping to BAOR ended in the 60's and in 1988 the Air Trooping Centre at Hendon closed, which had sent many transit servicemen, together with their families, to the Union Jack Club. Ever tightening financial constraints obliged the various Service Establishments to look elsewhere when they needed to accommodate their personnel for the many duties required of them in London. The end result of all this was a sharp decline in Service occupancy, which started around 1980 and seemed to gather momentum as the decade unfolded.

At the end of 1981 the decision was taken to expand the scope of the Club by admitting serving and retired members of the Public Services and their families as Temporary Honorary Members. The doors were therefore opened to such bodies as the Police, the Fire and Ambulance Services, the Merchant Navy, HM Coastguards, the Prison Service, the Civil Service and other groups sponsored by reputable organisations. They could use the full facilities of the Club provided they stayed overnight.

It is always good to report that after 100 years the Union Jack Club remains as popular and well used as it did when it was founded, and with its high room occupancy, it is the envy of most other clubs and certainly every hotel in central London. It has over 330 bedrooms and all the facilities that any other club can boast and indeed many more besides. There are a number of points of historical interest here, such as the Victoria Cross Board, which is the only known commemoration of its kind to all those who have earned the VC. Members of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association, who come from many different parts of the world, stay here on their biennial official visit to London and it is a great honour to look after them. There is a plaque showing that Lawrence of Arabia used the Club regularly as a member, when he adopted the identity of Aircraftman Shaw and there are many more points of interest to focus the mind.

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