Dear young people, parents, partners and supporters
Since opening our doors in 2019, Future Youth Zone has become a place where thousands of young people feel safe, inspired, and empowered — a space that’s open seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. Together with our incredible partners, we’ve created something truly special. Through a global pandemic, a cost of living crisis, and numerous other challenges, our shared commitment to young people has never wavered.
It’s been the greatest honour of my career to serve as CEO of Future Youth Zone. However, I’ve made the decision that the time is now right to move on and take on a new challenge. I’m confident that it’s the right time — both for me personally and for the continued growth and success of the Youth Zone. Future is entering an exciting new phase as we begin work on a new long-term strategy launching in 2026, leading us towards our 10th birthday. It’s the perfect moment for a new CEO to step in and co-create this next chapter alongside young people, supporters, funders, and wider community.
My final day in the office will be Friday 18th July, after which I’ll be moving on to become CEO of Babyzone — a charity that was born out of a pilot programme at Future six years ago. I’m thrilled that this role will allow me to remain closely connected to Barking and Dagenham, the OnSide Network, and of course, Future Youth Zone — as a proud partner and friend.
In preparation for this transition, the Board of Trustees will be launching the recruitment process for a new permanent CEO in the coming weeks. In the interim, I’m proud to share that Gershom Clarke, our current Chief Operating Officer, will step up as Interim CEO from 1st July. Gershom has been with Future since the beginning — starting as our Senior Club Manager — and has consistently shown incredible dedication, leadership, and passion for our mission. He will be supported by our talented Senior Team and I’m confident that they will continue to build on the strong foundations that we have laid together.
Looking back, I am overwhelmed with pride. Our achievements are too many to list, but what I cherish most is hearing the voices of young people, parents, partners, and supporters who describe Future Youth Zone as a place where they feel welcomed, included, and inspired. That spirit is what has made Future an amazing place, and I am confident that it will carry forward in the same way.
There’s still lots to do over the coming weeks, and I’m looking forward to continuing to push forward our vision of transforming young lives. If you’d like to meet with Gershom or one of our Senior Team to hear more about our transition or our strategy work, we’d love to hear from you.
Thank you for being a part of this journey and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for this incredible Youth Zone that we’ve built together.
Gavin Evans
