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That's the wrong way to look at the right problem.
Annabel is not a charity. Their value prop is to give affluent customers an occasion to meet other affluent customers. Who gets into Annabel is a consequence of broader social inequality
Annabel might be the tackiest and most new money club in London (tied with Soho House), but most of the members I know come from pretty wealthy backgrounds. Think 3rd generation banker with a trust fund, not "my family owns a stately home since George III was a king"
Misunderstanding member clubs to this extent on a Sunday.
Annabel’s is literally a tacky club where men with a mid-life crisis go to pick up £1000+ a night escorts. Everyone I know who has a membership there is either sleazy or just really naff. Why would talented people from lower income backgrounds even be interested in a “DEI membership” there?
Also the whole premise of a member’s club is to be exclusive and not inclusive. The world is not one big university campus with feel-good slogans everywhere.
Really? And how might one obtain a membership there? Only kidding. I remember going there a few times 20 years ago. Probably still the same vibe and clientele.
Rising Star
The premise of these private members clubs is precisely for the purpose of setting up social environments for people wanting spaces that can follow specific exclusionary criteria (be it wealth, political leanings, profession, dress code, gender, university alum). They’re a relic of British class society, in the same way many working class grandparents will have been going down the Labour club or Royal Legion on a Friday to play bingo.
An average meal in Annabels will set you back £125-150 (that’s without going crazy)
So even if they had “bursary membership places” it’s unlikely people will visit unless they have deep pockets.
And, as mentioned above, it’s a for profit organisation - why give memberships for free when there is a waitlist of people wanting to join as is. In their defence under 35s pay reduced membership fee and don’t pay joining fee.
Everything within the club should be a quarter of the price for those on low income