Local families have attended Start It Right’s first community event to celebrate the launch of its youth services in Croydon.
Held at Old Town Youth Club, the Family Day and Launch Party welcomed local residents to take part in a range of exciting games and activities as well as exploring different services offered to young people in the summer.
A new youth-led organisation established in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Start It Right aims to build effective relationships with other organisations and individuals to transform the lives of young people in Croydon.
Supported by the National Lottery Community Fund, the event enabled families to enjoy a relaxing day with other members of the community after what has been a challenging year for many due to COVID-19.
Guests were able to participate in an array of activities including face painting, sports games, bouncy castle and a raffle competition.
The family-fun themed event was supported by sponsor Playtime at the Pavillion and partner Cre8 football, and teams from Art Press and East Croydon Cool to deliver a variety of arts and crafts based activities to encourage families to get creative and take a piece of memorabilia home for the day.
The Asian Resource Centre Croydon were also available to deliver health checks and inform visitors of ways to boost their mental health and wellbeing.
The event also demonstrated the inspiring generosity of the team of volunteers, many of whom are local residents, who helped throughout the day to bring the community together on this special occasion.
Having one of the highest youth populations of all boroughs in London, Start It Right is keen to make its mark within Croydon and encourage young people to become active and positive members of their community.
Start It Right also aspires to deliver other youth projects and a ‘Thrive ‘N’ Flex’ mentoring programmes for young people later on in the year and looks forward to making a viable impact in Croydon for many years to come. This summer it will be delivering its first holiday playscheme, aimed at children aged 8-12, to get them involved in extra-curricular activities over the summer holidays.
Start It Right founder and director Alexia Lee said: “What a wonderful day! It has been immensely rewarding to be able to introduce Start It Right to local families at our first community event. As a community-focused organisation, we are passionate and committed to building the foundations of our youth projects within the heart of Croydon and supporting our young people to prepare for a brighter and bolder future. Thank you to our supporters, the National Lottery Community Fund for making this event possible and for everyone who joined us on this memorable day – we look forward to future opportunities where we can come together to commemorate the amazing community spirit of Croydon.”