City Kids Surfing Joins Help2Fund to Take More London Kids to the Ocean

For most children growing up in inner-city London, the sea might as well be on another planet. School trips tend to stay local, and family holidays to the coast are often out of reach. City Kids Surfing exists to change that. The charity has now joined Help2Fund to grow the support that lets them take more children from London estates and schools to the ocean for the first time.

What City Kids Surfing Does

Founded in 2017 by Tom Franklin, a former primary school teacher in Lewisham, City Kids Surfing runs a structured programme in London schools that builds towards a residential trip to Devon or Cornwall. Along the way, children learn:

• To swim and stay safe in open water

• The basics of beach safety and lifesaving skills

• About coastal conservation and the wider surfing industry

• Mindfulness practices used on the beach and in dorms during trips

The trips are run in partnership with local surf schools and environmental groups, and culminate in days at the beach and evenings around the campfire. Tom set the charity up after watching too many of his pupils lose their futures to knife crime and gang involvement. Surfing, in his words, offered a different kind of belonging: nature-based, adrenaline-fuelled, and rooted in community.

Why This Partnership Matters

Running a charity alongside teaching is a balancing act, and fundraising has always been one of the hardest parts. By joining Help2Fund, City Kids Surfing gets a dedicated donation page, social promotion across our channels, and a way to reach supporters who haven't heard of the charity before. We cover the platform side so the team can keep focusing on the children.

How Donations Make a Difference

City Kids Surfing runs on tight margins, and every contribution feeds directly into the programme. Here's roughly what donations cover:

• £10 covers a child's swimming lesson during the programme

• £25 pays for camping food for one child on the residential trip

• £50 funds a child's surf lesson with a qualified instructor

• £100 covers a child's full place on a beach trip, including accommodation, transport, and equipment

How to Support City Kids Surfing

• Donate a one-off amount or set up a regular contribution through the Help2Fund page

• Share the fundraising page on social media to help reach more supporters

• If you work for or know a London school in an inner-city area, put them in touch with the charity

• Follow City Kids Surfing on social media to see the trips happen

For a child who has never stood on a beach, a four-day surf trip can be a turning point. City Kids Surfing has spent nearly a decade proving that. We're glad to be part of helping them reach more kids.