Our Story

How it all began

Fifteen years ago, a vicar, a policeman and a football coach walked into a club…

It sounds like the start of a joke, but it proved to be the beginning of MTV Youth Hampton – a local youth project set up in response to serious concerns raised in the community over a lack of support for young people and rising anti-social behaviour.

Reverend David Lloyd, PCSO Marek ‘Maz’ Regan of the Hampton Safer Neighbourhood team and local youth worker (then football coach) Nick Neilan met in early 2011, united with a deep desire to make a positive difference to the lives of the young people in Hampton, particularly those living in and around the Oldfield Road estate.

On Saturday 12th March 2011 we ran our first session on the outdoor courts at the Oldfield Centre (now St Mary’s Hampton CE primary school), coaching football to 5 kids from the Oldfield Road estate. 

The football proved popular and momentum soon gathered, leading to the decision to create a youth club on the same site. None of us had ever run a youth club before but it seemed the right thing to do in response to the evident need. 

A committed group of twenty volunteers (aged 16 to 70+ years old) were soon assembled from St Mary’s church & the wider community, with the church providing the initial funds necessary to progress the youth work. Penny Dimond joined the leadership team and suddenly there was order!

On the evening of Friday 28th October 2011, MTV Youth was officially launched. 

Despite not advertising, the club grew rapidly as word of mouth spread amongst the youth. Within a matter of weeks, 50-60+ kids were regularly attending each Friday night club.

A grant from Hampton Fuel Allotment Charity (now the Hampton Fund) ensured we could continue the existing work for another year…

Where we are now

Fifteen years later we’re glad to say we are still here and going strong.

Though much has happened since those early days, key elements remain:

  • We are still on the site where it all began but we are now a registered charity and in our own venue: the ex-caretaker’s bungalow, formerly part of the Oldfield Centre premises, which we developed and renovated in 2019.

  • We still continue to work with young people (but loads more of them and now from Monday to Friday), providing them with a safe space where they can hang out, build their confidence, improve their health, develop their skills, make friends and have fun.

  • We still receive tremendous support from a committed group of volunteers - positive role models who want to make a difference to the lives of young people and in doing so unite the local community.

  • We still receive fantastic support from local organisations, such as the Hampton Fund and St Mary’s Hampton Church, as well as individual supporters who highly value the work that we do and the difference it makes.  

The biggest thing that has remained though is the reason we started this thing in the first place – our desire to see the lives of local young people transformed and their potential fulfilled.

We want to see all our young people, whatever their background, develop their sense of purpose, value & belonging, improve their physical, mental & emotional health & wellbeing and access better life opportunities.

We want to engage, equip and empower them to cultivate healthy habits & relationships, be brave, use their skills, live well and flourish. We want to see transformation not just in their own lives, but also in the lives of those around them.

What next?

We need your support!

Whilst so much has been achieved in the past fifteen years, we believe so much more is to come but we need your help to make it happen.

You can make a difference now by:

Thanks for all your support!

Our Vision & Mission
Our Vision & Mission