A new exciting project was being organised for a number of months, culminating in the inaugural SRMD London Youth Festival! This two-day extravaganza took place this weekend, from 22nd to 23rd July, at Merchant Taylors' School in Northwood. There was a specially curated festival experience, bringing together 350 young adults between the ages of 18 and 39 who travelled from across the UK.
The festival boasted an impressive lineup of 25+ events, spanning across Saturday and Sunday. From a captivating social impact hackathon and sports tournaments to masterclasses addressing topics relevant to today's youth, meditation, yoga sessions, a charity firewalk, and hands-on charity work. The festival offered an array of engaging activities to cater to diverse interests.
One of the festival's highlights was the social-impact hackathon, where groups of enthusiastic young people collaborated to devise innovative solutions to three pressing social challenges confronting the UK today:
- Bridging the Gap to Housing Access for Young Professionals,
- Improving Access to Mental Health Services for the South Asian Community, and
- Rethinking Food Wastage.
The grand culmination of the festival was on Sunday afternoon, with the Hackathon participants eagerly presenting their ideas to a panel of judges and industry experts.
At the core of the SRMD London Youth Festival lies a profound mission - to nurture and empower future leaders, foster holistic well-being, and provide a platform for young individuals in the community to connect and network with like-minded peers.
Dean said, 'The atmosphere at this event was incredible, and I am very grateful to Ashwin for inviting me to say a few words regarding the Youth Festival's objectives which are inspiring. I was pleased to also help pack bags which were due to be delivered to the YMCA in Watford this week. I was very impressed to learn that the festival was completely organised by the youth, for the youth. I am looking forward to learning more about the work which takes place following the weekend's activities and I wish the group every success'.
