Kicking Off 2026: The Mayor Of London, Sir Sadiq Khan Visits Esports Youth Club

EYC's Tunde, Sir Khan and EYC founder Lewis pose for a quick pic outside of the gaming zone

We couldn’t have asked for a more inspiring way to start 2026.

In January, we were honoured to welcome Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, alongside Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, to one of our Esports Youth Club sessions at the Damilola Taylor Centre in Peckham. The visit formed part of the wider MyEnds programme, led by the brilliant Oliur Rahman and the team at Active Communities Network (ACN) - an organisation that continues to do incredible work across Southwark.

The visit followed the release of new figures showing that:

“Homicide in London has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade,” with 97 homicides recorded in 2025 – the lowest since 2014.

Teenage homicide has also fallen dramatically:

“Teenage homicide… has dropped to the lowest level since 2012, with eight teenagers killed last year.”

These are powerful figures, and they represent real lives changed, protected and given more chance to thrive.

Esports, Youth Work and Real Impact

At Esports Youth Club, we’re proud to play a small part in this wider story. Through gaming, esports and youth work, we create safe spaces where young people can:

• Spend time positively with their peers

• Build confidence and social skills

• Access opportunities they might not otherwise have

• Be supported by trusted youth workers

  
  

Our work in Southwark has grown steadily over the past 18 months, thanks to strong partnerships with organisations like Active Communities Network, our amazing community partners Mentivity, and the wider backing for youth services through London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), first introduced by Sir Sadiq Khan in 2019.

The VRU focuses on prevention, including youth workers in hospitals and police custody, tackling school exclusions and supporting young people before harm happens. As the BBC article highlights:

“The commissioner also praised prevention work, including by London’s Violence Reduction Unit… which was created by Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan in 2019.”

And:

“When we were set up more than six years ago, London’s homicide rate of young people was three times higher than it is today.”

Sir Mark Rowley, Met Police Commissioner discussing EYC's impact alongside Sir Khan

Community at the Heart

One of the most powerful parts of the BBC report was the recognition of grassroots youth work. Oliur Rahman described the MyEnds teams as:

“Local ‘unsung heroes’ for building trust among Londoners.”

That trust is exactly what we see every week - young people showing up, feeling safe, being themselves, and growing in confidence through something they love: gaming.

We’re proud that through esports, we can help:

• Divert young people from risk

• Offer belonging and purpose

• Create positive and safe spaces

• Show young people they matter

Looking Ahead

There is still work to do. Challenges remain. But the progress being made shows what’s possible when communities, youth workers, councils, charities and young people themselves come together.

We’re grateful to everyone who continues to support our work, partner with us, and believe in the power of youth work - whether it’s through sport, art, music or esports.

And we’re especially proud of the young people who walk through our doors every week and remind us why this work matters.

🔗 Read the full BBC News article here: London homicides at 11-year low, Met Police says