Every Tuesday in March, we ventured out of our usual local Lambeth to host sessions down in Bermondsey, London. We’re hoping to expand to the Maldives next, but until then, we could not have felt more welcomed and excited to be hosted at Bede Youth Club.
When we first scouted out this location we were very impressed and excited; and the club did not disappoint. The youth club itself is based within an estate in Bermondsey and has an amazing community feel to it. There always seemed to be a buzz of positive energy radiating around the place - probably due to the large numbers of excited young people all getting up to different activities across the two floors of the club.
Scenes from the FIFA 22 tournament we hosted - plenty of young people locked in! - Instagram: @esportsyouthclub
We were able to set up in an amazing room upstairs at the youth club and offer a range of video game and esports experiences.
Over the 4 weeks, we hosted a couple of FIFA tournaments (a lot of young Milwall fans were in the building!), we also saw the young people having a great time playing NBA2k22, Rocket League, Gran Turismo, Call of Duty: Vanguard and more. It was a true testament to the range of video games that young people love to play all the same.
During all this, we were able to engage and speak with the young people in a friendly environment which seemed to make them feel relaxed. We got a lot of great feedback from our sessions too - both from the young people and the staff, which is always an added bonus. We particularly enjoyed the following quotes from one of our players Zack, 12:
“This is so much better than normal youth club, I’m gonna come down more often now!”
This epitomizes exactly why we have created Esports Youth Club, to elevate the digital gaming experiences we can offer young people from all backgrounds. We have seen first hand the overwhelming positive effects gaming can have on young people, and so often we see young people’s moods improve and grow throughout the sessions.
We would like to say a huge thank you to all the staff involved at Bede Youth Adventure Project and of course all the amazing young people we met and gamed with, we had a wonderful time.
If you’re interested in getting involved with Esports Youth Club then please get in touch - there are so many ways to help out!
- Lewis Kay, EYC
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