There were smiles all round this weekend as over 1,800 people celebrated the official opening of Croydon’s Legacy Youth Zone on Saturday 7th September. The carnival-themed grand opening of offered everyone from across the Croydon community the opportunity to see what is on offer for young people inside the £6.5million facility.
Based on the successful OnSide Youth Zones model, Legacy offers young people with over 20 activities 7 days a week. For an annual member of £5 then just 50p per visit, young people have access to an indoor climbing wall, four-court sports hall, fully equipped gym, 3G all-weather pitch, music room with recording suite, training kitchen, dance studio, health and well-being room, arts and crafts area and much more.
The charity is already proving popular with young people as over two thousand young people had already signed up as members before Legacy’s official opening.
During a ribbon cutting ceremony, the Youth Zone was marked officially open by key stakeholders and young people. Guests heard from Angel Chizea as she shared a touching speech about her involvement with the charity.
The initial £6.5million building costs have been joint funded by a number of partners; Croydon Council contributed £3.25million with the remainder being sourced by OnSide from a number of contributors including the Queen’s Trust, the Stone Family Foundation and The Seroussi Foundation via UBS Optimus Foundation.
The Youth Zone’s annual running costs are supported by several founder patrons – a group of businesses and philanthropists who have pledged over £1m per year. Croydon Council will also contribute £300,000 to the Youth Zone’s annual running costs.
The Youth Zone will now be open seven days a week with different sessions for juniors (8-12) and seniors (13-19 and up to 25 for those with additional needs).