EAST LONDON CHARITY “EASTSIDE YOUNG LEADERS’ ACADEMY” LAUNCH NEW CAMPAIGN, “LET’S BOYCOTT CHRISTMAS”

Eastside Young Leaders' Academy

Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy, an East London youth-based charity launched a new crowdfunding
campaign to raise money for selected partner charities in Africa and the Caribbean.

Driven by Young Leaders, the “Let’s Boycott Christmas” campaign is looking to raise £250,000 from the
British public by asking them to divert a tiny portion of what would normally be spent on festivities, towards
those for whom COVID-19 has had an especially devastating impact. The Pandemic has not only highlighted existing inequalities, it has in many cases exacerbated them, reversing years of progress in sub-Saharan Africa and pushing millions more into poverty.

The £250,000 goal is to be divided among EYLA’s overseas partner charities, all of whom are involved in
education with a particular focus on girls.

Speaking on the campaign, Ray Lewis, executive director of EYLA, said: “The pandemic has highlighted the
harsh realities of this unequal struggle and the fragility of those most in need, particularly in sub-Saharan
Africa. Through our own research – and information provided by NGOs on the ground – Eastside wants to
target girls’ education programmes and employment prospects in Ghana, The Gambia, Kenya, Nigeria and
Sierra Leone”.

“In truth, we don’t want you to skip the season but we do ask you to pause and make a small sacrifice as
this will make a big difference to some of the poorest communities on the planet. We live in a world where,
sadly, winner takes all. Pay careful attention to how the Corona vaccine is distributed and you will see this -it will be based on nation not need”.

Omar Pierre-Williams, a Young Leader added, “In a year full of lows, this Christmas we want to do what we
can to harness the energy and goodwill of the British people and end the year by building on the true spirit
of Christmas – that of giving. Our crowdfund campaign will take donations and distribute them through our
overseas partner charities. We believe our efforts will help alleviate suffering in both the short and longer
term.”

NOTES FOR EDITORS
Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy was founded by community leaders in east London in 2002 and provides a
full supplementary education programme for children and young people aged 8-18. This includes out of
school tuition, leadership training, in-school workshops and a scholars’ programme which provides access to bursaries at state and independent boarding schools. EYLA’s programmes remove barriers to learning,
support educational recovery and acceleration, and provide enrichment opportunities.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic and in wake of the wave of protests relating to Black Lives Matter,
Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy has shifted its focus, to do more to help combat inequality.

The idea of boycotting Christmas was first proposed by Revd. Dr Martin Luther King in 1963.

The “Let’s Boycott Christmas” campaign officially begins November 2020 and will run until December 31st.

For more information please contact us at campaigns@eyla.org.uk or 020 38878686, and to donate, check out our JustGiving page at https://justgiving.com/campaign/letsboycottchristmas

You can also use our donation text service, stating how much you would like to donate e.g. text BOYCOTT 5
to 70085 to donate £5, or BOYCOTT 10 to donate £10 etc. (NB there is a space between BOYCOTT and your
chosen amount).