Riverside Youth Club was opened in 1969 by southeast London’s champion heavyweight boxer, Henry Cooper. For 50 years, the centre has given young people a space to make friends, discover new opportunities, and have fun in a safe environment. Through years of heavy usage and building disrepair, it was forced to close in 2020, but a community effort enabled it to redevelop for reopening in 2025.
Youth First, Millwall Community Trust, Lewisham Council, and the community came together to keep the centre's operations alive. With generous support from the Football Foundation, the building is being renovated, including a brand new Astroturf football pitch.
Young people have been actively involved in co-producing what the refreshed spaces and programming at Riverside should offer. Unfortunately, Riverside’s old equipment was badly damaged and we currently do not have suitable equipment and furniture to bring the spaces young people have envisioned to life.
Could you help us with this urgent campaign by donating?
Riverside is like a second home to me, I’ve been going there from the age of eight. Revitalising our youth club will bring a great sense of unity to the community that has been lost in recent years - Millie
Making a donation. Any amount is massively appreciated and means the world to the young people patiently waiting for Riverside to re-open.
Donating equipment
If you are a business, organisation or institution with equipment or furniture in good condition that you would be interested in donating to Riverside, we would love to connect with you. Please get in touch with our Project Manager (details below).
List of equipment needed to kit-out Riverside Youth Club
Partner or fundraise with us
Youth First team is keen to work with partners to help Riverside realize its full potential and create the centre young people deserve.
Are you an organisation or individual interested in providing services or other programming at a new youth club in Lewisham when it opens? Please reach out to get in touch with our Project Manager on opportunities with Riverside’s reopening.
Contact our Riverside Project Manager
Madelaine Wilson
Email: madelaine.wilson@youthfirst.org.uk
Read more about Riverside’s re-development here
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