Would You Consider Donating to the Club?
Most club members will be aware that the YCBC has been operating on limited financial resources for some time. It is particularly frustrating that we are no longer able to keep going just at the time when the enormous amount of effort which has recently been put into the club was beginning to show dividends.
The Management Committee is continuing to meet (by conference call/Skype) regularly and is working to keep the club alive and solvent. It will be tough, but one way that you might be able to help is to donate to the club some portion of what you would normally have spent when visiting the club—your table money, or the cost of a pint, perhaps?
One member, Richard Bowdery, has set up a regular weekly donation to do just that, and if you would like to follow suit, it just might make all the difference. (By the way, the club, as a charity, benefits—and you do not lose out—if you have signed and returned a Gift Aid form.) To remind you, our bank details are:
- YCBC Ltd
- Sort Code: 23‑05‑80
- Account Number: 35584692
Please use the reference LOCKDOWN when you send any donations in this way, so that we can identify them separately from any other income, such as that from the online games that we will soon be arranging. And thank you so very much.
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Item posted 25 March 2020
YCKO Suspension
This item is just to confirm that the 2020 YCKO is suspended for the time being. Whilst some teams might be prepared to play matches online, not all are. The event will be re‑started once we are all able to meet again. New deadlines will be published as and when this is possible.
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Meanwile, the club is planning to run online duplicates which will start soon, and it is also hoped to start a fun online club league and/or knockout competition. Check the website for more details as they become available.
Keep well, everyone, and stay safe.
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Item posted 25 March 2020, author Chris Duckworth
Youth Initiative Donations
Sum Pledged to Date: £12,300 Target: £50,000
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Item last updated 14 March 2020
 India Leeming
 Athena Chow
 Louise Selway
We are very pleased to announce an exciting new project aimed at recruiting new, younger members. We will primarily be targeting university students in London, and the aim is to offer to teach every single one how to play bridge. That’s a pretty massive task, as there are 375,000 of them! The project is being driven forward by a YC Youth Committee comprising three of our younger members—the YCYC chairman is India Leeming who is working alongside Athena Chow and Louise Selway.
It is envisaged that the first courses will be held early in the next academic year, but there is much to be done now in order to reach out and contact potential new players. And importantly, once basic tuition has been provided, new players will need mentoring through further lessons and supervised play etc until they are able to develop further without assistance. Then the plan is to run parallel student duplicates, organised alongside the regular Monday‑ and Friday‑night games, so that in time those who are keen can graduate to the main duplicates.
As a first step, and to pilot the new programme, we will be running a course for chess players—many of whom are young—over the weekend of 18 & 19 April. David Parry, previously a professional bridge teacher will be helping with this, along with Chris Duckworth. We have good contacts with the chess community through the Hammersmith Chess Club who now meet regularly at the club, and expect a healthy turnout for this.
Although teaching for the first courses will be provided by volunteers, there will be significant costs associated with the youth project as a whole. Students will be charged only a heavily subsidised rate for the course, but publicity costs will be substantial and teachers will need to be paid later. So we are launching an appeal to members to help raise funds.
The aim is to raise £50,000 to support this initiative, and we are confident that there are many YC members who will want to help out with donations for this important work. All donations will be ring‑fenced for the Youth Project, and because this is part of our work as a registered charity, donations can be made subject to Gift Aid, which makes them worth more. If you have not already signed a Gift Aid form, supplies are available at the club or you can download one from the Gift Aid tab on the left of the website homepage.
Members can also help by recommending the course to young people that they know—it doesn’t need to be exclusively for university students. All of you must know someone you could encourage to learn to play—sons or daughters, grandchildren, nephews or nieces, brothers or sisters, boyfriends or girlfriends, younger employees, a friend with young relatives etc.
Donations are best made by bank transfer, using “YOUTH” as a reference (or “YOUTH ANON” if you don’t want your name publicised). The account details are:
- YCBC Ltd
- Sort Code: 23‑05‑80
- Account Number: 35584692
We are delighted to say that we have just received our first donation of £5,000—made anonymously! Thank you very much for this—let’s hope it will be the first of many to help us reach our goal.
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Page last updated 22 February 2020
In Memoriam: Bernard Teltscher
 Bernard Teltscher circa 2009
We are sad to report the death of Bernard Teltscher, president of the London Metropolitan Bridge Association and sponsor, as well as winner of, the prestigious Lederer (held at the YC for many years before its move to the RAC) and Teltscher trophies.
EBU Chairman, Ian Payn said “Not only was Bernard a fine player, but also a great patron of the game he loved so much and played so well. He was President of the London Metropolitan Bridge Association and a deserved first recipient of the EBU’s Tony Priday Award. Our condolences to Bernard’s family and friends.”
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Item posted 29 February 2020
Team BLACK Wins 2018—2019 YCKO
Congratulations to team BLACK (Andrew Black, Phil King, Andrew McIntosh, Gunnar Hallberg) for winning the YCKO 2018 final. (This is the previous season’s event, not the one currently under way.) Behind team TELTSCHER (Victor Silverstone, Tom Townsend, Alex Hydes, Stelio di Bello) after 48 deals, BLACK as undefeated team used the right to play an extra eight deals and edged in front by 2 IMPs at the end.
 Committee member Brian Callaghan (left) presents team BLACK players Andrew McIntosh, Phil King,and Andrew Black with their YCKO 2018–2019 winner’s prize
 Tom Townsend from team TELTSCHER accepts the YCKO 2018–2019 runner‑up’s prize
The prizegiving took place at the club on Wednesday 5 February. BLACK received the £1,000 first prize and TELTSCHER got £400 as runner‑up.
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Item posted 28 January 2020, updated 6 February 2020
Young Chelsea Super League—Spring 2020
The brand‑new YC Super League started on 22 January. An amazing 21 teams have signed up for our top‑class competition—the giants of Division One will play for the honour of becoming the first ever YC Super League champions (and the big money prize of course), while the up‑and‑coming teams in Division Two will fight for promotion (and their own money prize). More details…
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Item posted 14 January 2020
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