The story of Ekco Social & Sports Club

Where it began

The story behind Ekco Social & Sports Club begins with Eric Kirkham Cole, a Southend pioneer whose ideas helped shape one of Britain’s best-known electronics brands. In the early 1920s, Eric Cole found a way to use mains electricity to power radios, helping move households away from battery-powered sets and opening the door to a fast-growing new business.

What followed was remarkable. EKCO became an international name associated with many of the must-have gadgets of the day, building a reputation for practical innovation, strong design, and forward-thinking manufacturing in Southend-on-Sea.

The EKCO name

EKCO — short for E. K. Cole — grew from a local venture into one of Britain’s leading electronics and plastics manufacturers. The company became known for radio sets, television development, heating, lighting, plastics, and a wide range of household and specialist products that touched everyday life across the country.

EKCO was widely recognised as a pioneer. The company was the first to produce car radios, truly portable televisions, convection heaters, and fluorescent lighting. Beyond domestic products, EKCO also played an important role in radar and defence technology, including work that contributed to Britain’s first guided missile systems and wartime electronic development. During the Second World War, the company was heavily involved in top-secret radar production and other vital military communications work.

Innovation with a human side

Eric Cole was not only an innovator in products and manufacturing — he was also known as a progressive employer. Long before many of these ideas became common, he supported apprenticeship schemes, paid holidays, workplace pensions, and strong welfare provision for employees.

He also believed that work should be supported by community. Sport, recreation, and social connection formed an important part of EKCO life, helping lay the foundations for an employee sports and social culture that would become central to the club’s identity.

From factory culture to club community

As EKCO expanded, so did the sense of community around it. The company’s sports and social provision gave employees a place to meet outside work, take part in activities, and build lasting connections. That spirit of togetherness is an important part of the club’s story.

Over time, the club grew beyond its workplace roots and became a broader local venue for sport, events, gatherings, and celebrations. What began in the orbit of one of Southend’s most important employers became a place where members, families, and guests could continue that shared social tradition.

Today

Today, Ekco Social & Sports Club continues that legacy as a welcoming community venue. The club hosts family events, social nights, sports viewing, raffles and games, and private hire for celebrations and gatherings. While the original company belongs to history, the sense of community it helped create still lives on here.

What we’re proud of

• A club rooted in Southend’s industrial and social history
• A continuing tradition of community, sport, and togetherness
• A welcoming venue that carries forward the EKCO name and spirit

Key milestones