Helping young people turn corners in their lives for over 50 years

In the late 1960s, a forward-thinking psychiatrist named Faith Spicer, became concerned by the number of young women struggling with the stigma and shame of pre-marital sex and pregnancy.

These young women were either driven to back-street abortions, with often terrible results, or resigning themselves to the prejudices that came with raising an illegitimate child. With inadequate medical attention, and little to no emotional support, women were often forced into desperate conditions.

Faith, who specialised in adolescent sexual health, decided she had to help, and began her tireless work pioneering psychosexual services for young women.

In 1969 she founded the London Youth Advisory Centre (LYAC) where she established a new model of service for adolescents, years ahead of its time in the way it combined contraceptive advice with counselling and psychotherapy.

Her work was ground-breaking. She challenged convention and put the needs of young people at the heart of the organisation, helping them take charge of their own sexual and mental health.

Faith’s work was supported by Brandon Cadbury, who donated our current building in Kentish Town. In recognition of his involvement, LYAC became Brandon Centre in 1984.

Thanks to Faith, our mission is clear, and thanks to the commitment and dedication of our people, our work continues to provide a welcoming space in the heart of the community for young people to deal with their health challenges and needs.

Like Faith, we continue to push the boundaries of innovation so that more young people can harness their strengths to become responsible, fulfilled, and healthy young adults.

Charitable objectives

The principal objective of Brandon Centre is to maintain and develop an accessible and flexible professional service in response to the psychological, medical, sexual and social challenges of young people under 25 years.

The Centre aims to relieve distress, mobilise personal resources and facilitate growth in adolescents towards responsibility and self-fulfilment. We aim to prevent or alleviate suffering caused by unwanted pregnancy, mental ill health, psychological disturbance and maladaption in adult and future family relationships.

Brandon Centre services extend to a wide range of adolescent problems and is based on a psychoanalytic understanding of adolescent development and specialist treatment and preventative provision for contraceptive, pregnancy and psychosexual difficulties.

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