The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central and Northern New Hampshire started as a Concord-based organization that has grown to encompass the Greater Concord area, Lakes Region, Kearsarge-Sunapee region, North Country and Upper Valley. The Club evolved from serving primarily school-aged children to offering child care and early learning classrooms, thanks to a merger with Lakes Region Child Care Services in 2019.
The story begins in 1944 with the opening of the Addison Martin Boys Club in Concord. Named in honor of its first director, Patrolman Addison Martin of the Concord Police Department, the original clubhouse was located in St. Timothy’s Church on Highland Street. The building itself was little more than a basketball court, but under the direction of caring staff, it became the site of many, many happy memories.
When Officer Martin left the police force, the club was renamed the Concord Patrolman’s Association Boy’s Club. Then, attracted to the growing national Boys Club movement, the Concord Patrolman’s Association Boy’s Club became the Concord Boy’s Club in 1962.
In 1983, the Concord Boy’s Club became one of the first in the United States to formally add “& Girls” to its name, allowing girls to join as full members. Construction of the flagship clubhouse at Bradley Street was completed in 1987. That preceded decades of growth into neighboring communities like Hopkinton and Allenstown and thus the transition to “Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Concord.”
Meanwhile, in 1998, 14-year-old Robbie Mills of Laconia lost his life at the hands of two boys who wanted his bike. In response to that tragedy a group of determined Lakes Region students, parents, and civic leaders sought to “provide a safe, supervised place for middle school and high school students during after-school hours.” The Belknap County Teen Center (later Teen Center of the Lakes Region) was formed and, in 2007, formally joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The Lakes Club purchased a permanent home at the former St. James Church on Main Street in Laconia in 2013.
In 2015, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Concord and Boys & Girls Club of the Lakes Region merged to form the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central New Hampshire. The organization now boasted regional clubhouses in Concord, Laconia, and Suncook, as well as numerous school-based programs in towns such as Andover, Weare, Sutton, and Warner. With a goal of expanding early childhood programs that it had been piloting, the organization pursued a union with Lakes Region Child Care Services (LRCCS), which offered a wealth of expertise and credibility in the early childhood development field. Founded in 1969 by Sara Allan, LRCCS operates three award-winning child care centers and several before/after school programs in Laconia and Belmont.
Most recently, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central New Hampshire joined with the Boys & Girls Club of the North Country to form the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central and Northern New Hampshire (2023). The North Country Club had been established in 2005 in response to the pressing need for affordable, high-quality after school programming in the Littleton area. During its early years, it was an affiliate of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Manchester. The North Country earned its Boys & Girls Clubs of America charter in October 2013.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central and Northern New Hampshire now operates over two dozen early learning centers and after-school programs, including an early childhood education teaching lab on the campus of NHTI. Our programs welcome over 1000 infants through teens weekly. From developmental assessment and hands-on enrichment to community service programs and nutritious meals, our Clubs provide children and youth with the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.
