Senior members at Legacy had the surprise of their lives, as Star Wars actor John Boyega came to visit them at the Youth Zone on Wednesday 7 December. His visit was part of a wider project set up by OnSide, who teamed up with Amazon UK to highlight the important role youth centres play in helping young people to access opportunities and unlock their potential.

The south London actor spoke with all members in attendance about how essential his own youth centre was to him, to help him flourish and develop in acting and dance. We were left inspired and motivated to follow our dreams, as we heard of John’s journey to Hollywood.

John Boyega, actor, said: “We didn’t have a lot of money when I was growing up so I know how important it is to have free spaces and activities outside of the home. I was lucky that I had my father’s church and a local community drama group at Theatre Peckham, so I had places to go, and opportunities to dream. That’s why places like Legacy Youth Zone in Croydon are so important for the next generation – we just need more of them, all across the country so young people have a safe space to be themselves and have the opportunity to discover their passions in life, just as I did.

Delivering a Christmas Surprise

John helped deliver Amazon’s Christmas gift which consisted of a items Youth Workers and Members identified was needed at Legacy. Wish Lists on Amazon including Amazon devices like Kindles to supercharge the library, as well as Amazon Fire HD Tablets and Echo Dots (5th generation). The teams also received a PlayStation 5 and controllers for gamers; microphones and keyboards for the music studio; 3D printer; hair and beauty products for the beauty space; art and craft materials for the art room; DSLR cameras and kit for photography tutorials; weights for Legacy’s gym, and a range of sport equipment from golf nets and putting sets, to basketballs and a go-kart to inspire the next generations of sports stars. Amazon also provided gifts for each attendee to take home, as well as food from Amazon Fresh for the special night.

Each Legacy member who booked and attended this special session were entered into a prize draw to win the PlayStation 5 – the lucky winner was Abdullahi – a huge congratulations to him!

If having a Hollywood actor at Legacy wasn’t enough, Amazon also invited other influencers to help run activities and engage with members; they included:

  • BBC 1Xtra DJ and presenter Nadia Jae – running a DJ workshop in the music room;
  • YouTube gaming sensation Vikram Singh Barn – playing Minecraft and using our new gaming chairs with members;
  • Football Freestyler Zayn Farooqui – who got stuck straight in with football matches and penalty challenges;
  • Let’s Munch chef Bartek Michalski – cooking up a storm with his Chow Mein recipe in the training kitchen.

 

Senior member Eyziah said “As if we’ve had man like John Boyega come to Legacy! And then I’m seeing other celebrities who I’ve seen on TikTok in the rooms I go in each week! It was nice to be able to chat with them and do activities like football and DJing – the rooms were PACKED! They were all so down to earth, and I managed to get their signatures and tell them about my dreams too. Seeing John was great as dancing is my passion so it was nice to hear he had a dance background growing up; I’m also known to dabble in a bit of acting too, so you never know what my future holds!”

 

Not just for Christmas: A Programme of Support for Young People
The Amazon and OnSide initiative is part of a wider programme of support for young people through financial and product donations and Amazon has helped more than 10,000 organisations in the past 12 months that support young people in the UK. This includes Prime Video Pathway, a £10 million pledge across three years to support training and development in the UK TV and Film Industry, and an initiative with In Kind Direct, supported 266 charities who work in youth care. Last month, Amazon also supported Comic Relief’s Cost of Living Christmas Appeal to support people in the UK who are living in incredibly difficult circumstances.

 

Deputy Head of Youth Work, and Senior Club Manager Dorette Clarke said, “I want to say a massive thank you to Amazon and OnSide for a fantastic event held at Legacy. Our senior members were shocked and seeing the excitement on their faces was very special to me. Not only have we had many valuable and necessary product donations from Amazon, but we’ve also been able to inspire hundreds of young people in the space of a few hours. I want each and everyone of them to know that they can be the next John Boyega, or influencer – it’s within every one of their grasps. This is something they’ll remember and value for a very long time!”

Thank you to the Amazon team and John Boyega for delivering smiles to Croydon’s young people this Christmas. We’re also proud to be Amazon UK’s charity pick this festive season. If you’re getting gifts for family and friends, you can shop and do some good when you buy through Amazon UK. Each time you shop you can support Legacy Youth Zone, at no cost to you!