The Frontline Club

The Frontline Club FRONTLINE CLUB | CHAMPIONING INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM Frontline Club is a gathering place for journalists, media & their friends.

Founded by Vaughan Smith from his 90s news agency “Frontline Television News”, it was created to support freelance journalism and champion the safety of those who did this as their life’s work. We are a members club, with a public restaurant on the ground floor with private dining and busy events space on the top floor with interesting weekly events that are open to anyone. The club’s very mission

is to champion independent journalism and stimulate public discussion of current affairs. As the foreign news industry’s watering hole, we are informal, edgy and relevant. Norfolk place our newly-refurbished public Restaurant (75 cover) delivers casual fine dining, using local meat and ethically sourced produce. Instead of chasing you down the street with a bucket, we fundraise by selling food and drink, event ticket sales & member bedroom hires & of course by the recruitment of membership that enrich our ever growing community, that as we say in the Club, helps us keep fighting the good fight!

✨ unforgettable night at the Club ✨The hub of independent journalism. We were honoured to host , the BBC’s Chief Interna...
19/09/2025

✨ unforgettable night at the Club ✨
The hub of independent journalism.
We were honoured to host , the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, for a powerful conversation on Afghanistan and her latest book.

With her trademark depth and compassion, Lyse shared first-hand insights from decades of reporting, weaving together stories of resilience, conflict, and hope. The evening was filled with thoughtful discussion, friends, heartfelt questions, and a reminder of why journalism matters.

A huge thank you to Lyse for bringing such honesty and humanity to the room and to everyone who joined us for making it a truly unique night. Special shout out to the Panel and of course ‘chair force one’

📚 Lyse’s latest book THE FINEST HOTEL IN KABUL is available now, highly recommended for anyone wanting to understand Afghanistan beyond the headlines.

FRONTLINE CLUB EVENTS - https://mailchi.mp/frontlineclub.com/july-10380232 An opportunity to hear first-hand testimony a...
24/08/2025

FRONTLINE CLUB EVENTS - https://mailchi.mp/frontlineclub.com/july-10380232 An opportunity to hear first-hand testimony about the genocide in Gaza from healthcare professionals, legal experts, and journalists. Discussion points will include attacks on healthcare, attacks on civilians seeking aid at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites and the attacks on press freedom. The panel will provide the latest humanitarian update from MSF medical staff in Gaza.

12/08/2025

Thirty years ago today, John Schofield, a 29-year-old BBC reporter, was killed while covering the war in Croatia (then part of the former Yugoslavia). His widow, Susannah Schofield, and John’s family and friends founded this charity in his name, to honour both his life and the values he stood for.

From the start, Susie wove into the fabric of the Trust the qualities John was known for: kindness, generosity of spirit, and warmth – qualities remembered fondly by all who knew him.
In a recent journalism.co.uk article, Susie reflected on John:

“John was utterly gorgeous, charming, kindness personified, incredibly intelligent and was great fun to be with – I remember our last telephone conversation on the morning he was killed as being silly, irreverent and happy.

"In terms of his journalism, he was constantly looking out for stories and telling them in ways that would make audiences stop and listen. He was a great communicator – I remember the way in which he would use sound and images to paint his reports and pick up on what, to some, would seem an esoteric detail but yet would speak volumes about the situation he was reporting.”

You can read the full piece here (thank you to author Jacob Granger): https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/susie-schofield-i-vowed-no-journalist-would-go-to-their-grave-again-not-knowing-their-true-value-/s2/a1251887/

Reflecting on the charity’s beginnings, Susie has said, “I really wanted to make sure that John’s legacy would be a positive one, rather than one of absolute loss.”

Three decades on, the Trust has supported the mentoring and career development of over 1,000 early-career and aspiring journalists. John’s name is now synonymous across the industry with the excellent work of hundreds of volunteers who give their time every month to help the next generation thrive.

In the coming months, we’ll announce a series of events and projects marking the charities anniversary. But today, we pause to remember John – the journalist, the husband, the friend – and the reason our work began.

***SOLD OUT*** Thursday 24th July 2025 SCREENING / PLUS Q&AIsrael’s shocking killing of Palestinian-American journalist...
23/07/2025

***SOLD OUT*** Thursday 24th July 2025 SCREENING / PLUS Q&A
Israel’s shocking killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin in 2022. 'Who Killed Shireen?' is a 40-minute investigative documentary into the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, the first Palestinian-American journalist to ever be shot dead by Israeli forces in the Occupied West Bank. Stretching from Jenin and Jerusalem to Washington DC, the film offers shocking new revelations about Shireen's 2022 killing and also exposes the cover-up around her death from both the Israeli and American governments.
Lina Abu Akleh is a Palestinian journalist and the niece of late Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh. She has become a leading voice for justice and press freedom, recognized by Time’s Next 100 and BBC’s 100 Women in 2022. Lina is the Vice President of the Shireen Abu Akleh Foundation.
Dion Nissenbaum is an award-winning former Wall Street Journal foreign correspondent who was based in Beirut, Jerusalem, Kabul, Istanbul, Brussels and Washington. He is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-finalist for international reporting and author of "A Street Divided: Stories from Jerusalem's Alley of God," a book about the street he lived on in Jerusalem that served as the social, political, cultural and economic dividing line between Israelis and Palestinians. He was lead investigator and executive producer for "Who Killed Shireen?"
Leila Molana-Allen is an award-winning roving Special Correspondent for the PBS Newshour, reporting from across the wider Middle East and Africa. She has been based in the region, in Beirut and Baghdad, for a decade. She was named the Shifa Gardi Conflict Journalist of the Year in 2025, is the recipient of the 2024 Kathy Gannon Legacy Award for her reporting, and was honoured with a Peabody Award for her coverage of the Israel-Gaza war.

Address

13 Norfolk Place
London
W2 1QJ

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 11pm
Tuesday 11am - 11pm
Wednesday 11am - 11pm
Thursday 11am - 11pm
Friday 11am - 11pm

Telephone

+442070467050

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Our Story

The Frontline Club is a London hub for a diverse group of people united by their passion for the best quality journalism. With its elegant restaurant serving modern British and European cuisine and its atmospheric members' bar, the Frontline Club is a unique place to discuss, debate and be inspired. Our events, screenings, workshops and restaurant are open to the public.

The club’s mission is to champion independent journalism and stimulate public discussion of current affairs. The public restaurant delivers casual fine dining, using meat and produce from our farm in Norfolk. Our charitable arm supports frontline journalists through revenue from the restaurant, event space and membership (Frontline Freelance Register).

We also have twelve guest rooms for our members.