London Youth Zones Take on Cycling Challenge in Ambitious Fundraising Campaign
London, Thursday 13 February, 2025 – On Sunday 2nd March, four of London’s OnSide Youth Zones – Legacy Youth Zone in Croydon, Unitas Youth Zone in Barnet, WEST Youth Zone in Hammersmith & Fulham, and Future Youth Zone in Barking & Dagenham – will embark on a challenging cycling journey as part of their ambitious 36-hour crowdfunding campaign, London Without Limits. Their goal: to raise an impressive £800,000 to support thousands of young people across the capital.
The cycling challenge, spanning 65.7 miles, will see supporters and team members ride between all four Youth Zones based in the north, south, east and west of London. This grueling journey will help raise essential funds to provide young Londoners with a safe place to go, something to do, and someone to talk to.
In addition to the cycling challenge, Youth Zone members will also be doing their part by collectively cycling the same distance in the club’s state-of-the-art gyms during their sessions. This ensures that everyone plays a role in the mission to secure vital funding for the Youth Zones.
Youth Zones are a lifeline for thousands of young people, offering life-changing opportunities in safe, inspiring environments. These spaces provide access to sports, arts, cooking, mental health support, and mentoring, empowering young people to build confidence, skills, and friendships – all for just 50p per visit.
However, to continue delivering these essential services, the Youth Zones require urgent support from the public. OnSide Youth Zones are made possible through donations from businesses and the general public. Without these Youth Zones, young people are experiencing heightened levels of loneliness and spending most of their time on their phones. A recent study by OnSide found that 76% of young people spend most of their free time on screens.
Chris, a senior Legacy Youth Zone member, shares his experience, stating “Before coming to Legacy (Youth Zone), I was very shy and found it hard to talk to people or work with them at school and in class. I always felt scared of talking, and even though my social anxiety is something I still feel, it is a lot less now. My parents are proud of me for coming to Legacy, and they feel like I can finally socialize more and stop avoiding talking to other people.”
According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, 30% of youth clubs in London closed between 2010 and 2019 due to cuts in local authority funding. This has left thousands of young people without a safe space to go, making the work of London OnSide Youth Zones more critical than ever.
CEO of Legacy Youth Zone, Myke Catterall, emphasizes the importance of support for the London Without Limits Crowdfunder, stating “Contributing towards the London Without Limits Crowdfunder as a donor or champion is the crucial support we need to continue giving the young people of London the opportunity and a safe place to discover their full potential. Legacy, WEST, Future and Unitas Youth Zones rely on voluntary donations for 85% of our funding, therefore any contribution, big or small, makes a huge difference.”
There are two powerful ways to support the London Without Limits campaign:
– Donate: Every pound counts! Your contribution will directly fund Youth Zone activities and support services, helping young people thrive. (Every donation will automatically be doubled by our match funder at no extra cost to you!)
– Become a Champion: Help the youth zones spread the word by signing up as a campaign champion. Share the fundraiser with your network, rally support, and help unlock vital donations.
With just 36 hours to reach their £800,000 goal, the Youth Zones need a city-wide effort to show young people that London truly is a city without limits.
Modulr, WEST Youth Zone patron, expresses their support for the campaign, stating “At Modulr, we want to combine the energy, efforts and fundraising capability of our whole team to get maximum support for the London Without Limits Campaign. As a business, we’ve chosen to encourage our people to do this by matching every pound they raise, giving them an extra incentive to help the next generation and make a difference.”
Don’t wait – sign up as a Champion and get ready to donate on the 2nd March. Visit https://www.charityextra.com/londonwithoutlimits to learn more and be part of something transformational for young Londoners.
