CROYDON, LONDON — Croydon Youth Theatre Organisation (CYTO) has announced the launch of ‘impACT’, a major fundraising campaign aiming to raise £20,000 to directly support its creative projects and innovative programme development. The campaign will culminate on Saturday 25 July in an interactive community fundraising event, kicked off by an extraordinary endurance challenge.
Anna Shields, a CYTO Trustee, Croydon resident, and professional theatre worker, will embark on her first ever ultra marathon, running the entire 38-mile (61km) perimeter of the London Borough of Croydon. Her gruelling route will map out the very community CYTO serves, finishing live at CYTO’s Shoestring Theatre during the afternoon event.
“As someone working in arts education, I see first-hand how transformative early involvement in theatre is,”
says Shields.
“It’s not just about creating the performers of tomorrow, it’s about shaping well-rounded, confident people with crucial life skills. I joined the CYTO Board to protect this lifeline for young people in the borough I am proud to call home. Running 38 miles around the edge of Croydon is a massive undertaking for me, but it pales in comparison to the barriers young people overcome every day.”
Alongside Anna’s finish line, the impACT fundraising event will burst into life at the Shoestring Theatre on Oakley Road from 4:00 PM on Saturday 25 July. CYTO members, staff, and volunteers will undertake a vibrant array of individual sponsored challenges, ranging from intensive ‘Hot Wings’ food challenges and dramatic hair-dyeing to video game speedrunning and ice bucket challenges. The public is invited to attend, support, and actively engage in a day featuring refreshments, a raffle, and interactive games.
At 7:00 PM, the focus shifts to the stage and screen. The event will showcase a series of short films written, directed, and produced by CYTO members over the past year, as well as live performances and creative sharings that demonstrate the exceptional raw talent brewing within the Croydon community.
“For more than 60 years, CYTO has provided a consistent, welcoming, and inspiring space where young people can develop their creativity and essential life skills through the arts,”
says Artistic Director, Andrew McPherson.
“Donations from this campaign are vital to ensuring that CYTO can continue delivering high quality productions, expanding our workshops, and keeping our creative opportunities completely accessible to all young people, regardless of their financial circumstances. By supporting CYTO, donors are directly investing in our members’ artistic growth and the next generation of creative, confident, and engaged young people.”
Founded in 1965 as a council youth service, CYTO has spent over sixty years serving local youth. In 2023, the charity secured a long-term 30-year lease on the Shoestring Theatre, providing critical stability but also transferring total responsibility for building maintenance, strict compliance, and emergency repairs onto the charity.
Because rising facility costs squeeze the charity’s resources, this public fundraising campaign is essential to protect the frontline creative work. CYTO remains a vital sanctuary amidst a near-total collapse of local authority youth provisions and significant regional safety concerns. Offering a heavily subsidised rate of just £60–£80 per term – alongside deeply utilised bursary places for 30% of its membership – CYTO ensures that financial hardship is never a barrier to creativity.
“CYTO is more than a youth theatre; it’s a vital sanctuary where we can step offline, leave our worries at the door, and feel completely safe to be ourselves,”
says Youth Board member, Kimani.
“In a borough like Croydon, where opportunities can be limited by a person’s background or income, CYTO breaks down those barriers and creates deep, inperson connections. But sustaining CYTO’s impact requires real resources. We are urging the community to back the impACT fundraiser so that every young person in Croydon can access the life changing creative experiences, mentorship, and skills we need to grow and thrive.”
Event & Sponsorship Details
Date & Time: Saturday 25 July 2026. Sponsored challenges from 4:00 PM; Film screenings & live sharings from 7:00 PM.
- Location: The Shoestring Theatre, Oakley Road, South Norwood, SE25 4XG
- Tickets: £10 (Concessions: £5). Booking required online via: www.cyto.org.uk/whats-on
- Donations / Sponsorship: Sponsorship and direct donations can be made online at: www.cyto.org.uk/impact
