Our history

Walter (“Wally”) Welsh established the Centre in 1955. Wally helped local schools, girl guides, football teams and the handicapped. He worked closely with young people’s relatives, teachers and the local police. Wally retired from youth work in 1988 and was awarded the MBE for lifelong services to youth work. Wally passed away in November 2009

Tony Heap took on Wally’s role running the Centre in 1990 until 2003 when he became the Centre Manager, eventually retiring in 2018. For many years Tony worked with his wife Carol who also instructed dance, karate and yoga. Carol passed away in December 2006 and Tony passed away in July 2021. The Carol Heap annual 6-aside football tournament and the Tony Heap annual basketball tournament honour their memory and the immense help that they gave to so many young people over decades of service to the community.

On 10 October 2022 a celebration was held at the Centre to remember Tony. Some sixty people including Tony’s children and grandchildren attended and many spoke emotionally of the hugely positive impact that Tony had on their lives. The martial arts centre was renamed The Tony Heap Dojo and a plaque was also unveiled. The event raised a surplus of £320 which was donated to the Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, the favourite charity of both Carol and Tony.

The Hogarth Charity was created in December 2000 to manage the Centre to sustain the delivery of a youth service. Until the end of 2018, the London Borough of Hounslow (“LBH”) was responsible for resourcing and funding the youth service delivered from the Centre. When this support ended, the Board of Trustees assumed full responsibility for the youth service as well as the Centre’s other activities. Led by Youth Officer Denny Anthony, Project 2019 was the Charity’s first calendar year providing an independent youth service.