Esports Youth Club (EYC) is a Brixton-based non-profit empowering young people to gain self-confidence through gaming and esports, and ultimately break the cycle of poverty. They are also now an accredited Living Wage Employer.
Right thing to do
EYC founder Mark Bird says: “Living Wage is the right thing to do and will pay off in the long run through staff satisfaction. Lambeth helped with guidance on becoming accredited, and, as a non-profit organisation, we welcomed having the accreditation costs refunded.
“The benefits of Living Wage are clear: staff can be safe in the knowledge they are getting fair pay in light of ongoing cost of living pressures; service users gain trust in the organisation, knowing they look after their staff fairly.
Discover new passions
“We offer a fresh, new option for those not catered for by current youth activities. According to a 2020 survey, gaming is their favourite hobby for 62% of ages 8 to 18. But with the price of consoles, WiFi and games running into hundreds, disadvantaged young people can be excluded, putting a cap on future growth and diversity in the sector. At our free-to-attend sessions people aged 10+ can discover new passions, enhance skills, form new teams. We run tournaments on different games with fantastic prizes, always with a free hot meal.
Development plans
“We started in late 2021, operating out of Herne Hill Station Hall, before moving to youth clubs, then our own spaces once our brand had grown in the community. We now have our HQ at Pop Brixton in The Factory (alongside other local youth organisations), with a free-to-use high-tech streaming studio – PS5s, Gaming PCs, and streaming equipment all within an exclusive, cool space. We also operate free sessions out of West Norwood Library and regularly host sessions at youth clubs across South London. We started out as three mates volunteering in our spare time. While we still rely on volunteers, we have been able to take on eight paid staff, with further growth and recruitment plans.
Inspiring a generation
“This year we’ve delivered 465 hours of youth work, engaged over 2,500 marginalised young people – 80% of whom do not attend any other youth provision – and we continue to grow. We partner with amazing companies and people within the video games and esports industry, as well as with inspiring community groups and charities. We aim to inspire a generation to pursue their aspirations.”
More information
- Find out more about Esport Youth Club
- For more on support from Lambeth Council, email livingwage@lambeth.gov.uk.
- Read about Lambeth’s Living Wage Action Group who are working on an Action Plan to make the borough a Living Wage Place
