London Youth Zones to Take on 36-Hour Cycling Challenge for Fundraising Campaign
London, UK – On Sunday, March 2nd, four of London’s OnSide Youth Zones will embark on an inspiring cycling challenge as part of their ambitious 36-hour fundraising campaign, London Without Limits. The four participating 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 – have set a goal to raise an incredible £800,000 to support thousands of young people across the capital.
The cycling challenge, dubbed “Pedalling for a Purpose,” will see supporters and team members riding a grueling 65.7 miles between all four Youth Zones, located in the north, south, east, and west of London. The funds raised from this challenge will go towards giving young Londoners a safe and inspiring place to go, something to do, and someone to talk to.
But the fundraising efforts won’t just be limited to the cycling challenge. Youth Zone members will also be participating by collectively cycling the same distance in their state-of-the-art gyms during session, ensuring that everyone plays a role in this mission to secure vital funding.
The Need for Youth Zones
Youth Zones are a lifeline for thousands of young people in London, providing life-changing opportunities in safe and inspiring environments. These spaces offer access to sports, arts, cooking, mental health support, and mentoring, empowering young people to build confidence, skills, and friendships for just 50p per visit.
However, to keep delivering these essential services, they need urgent support from the public. OnSide Youth Zones are made possible through the donations of businesses and the general public; without these Youth Zones, young people are experiencing heightened levels of loneliness and spend 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.
One senior member of Legacy Youth Zone, Chris, shares his experience, “Before coming to Legacy Youth Zone, I was very shy and had difficulty talking to people or doing group work at school. But now, my social anxiety is a lot less, and I feel more comfortable talking to others. 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.
Legacy Youth Zone CEO, Myke Catterall, emphasizes the importance of support for the London Without Limits campaign, “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.”
How You Can Help
The four London Youth Zones need Londoners to step up, get involved, and make a difference. There are two powerful ways to support the London Without Limits campaign:
1. 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!)
2. 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, they need a city-wide effort to show young people that London truly is a city without limits.
Modulr, WEST Youth Zone patron, shares their support for the cause, “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.”
Join the Movement
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.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.