Proud Places reaches 10,000!

Last night we celebrated 10,000 young people through our Proud Places programme at a wonderful event hosted by Jones Day. The room was filled with many Londoners of all ages who have supported the programme over the past five years.

After speeches from our Chair, Sir Laurie Magnus, HOLT Trustee and Partner at Jones Day, John Phillips, Dr Nicola Stacey, Ife Davies and our Proud Places Ambassador Destine Royce Pinzi, a spectacular Proud Places cake was cut by the 10,000th young person to join our programme, Scarlett Spencer.

Gilder Cody Deane and stonemason Max Lawson gave guests a chance to get up close to their traditional skills and to take home their own gold leaf memento.

The Jones Day Foundation has funded the programme since its 2020 inception and with their support we’ve reached our target of 10,000 young people across London involved in site visits, creative and heritage projects. We’ve led over 240 visits or workshops since January alone.

That work is about to grow in a big way. In May 2026 a new Proud Places Hub will open at One Golden Lane in partnership with developer Castleforge. This new cultural space for workshops will occupy the heritage part of the old Cripplegate Institute, offering young people creative learning and support that helps opens doors to future careers. In the spirit of the building’s philanthropic origins, the Hub will be a place to learn, make and explore, where heritage meets community and young people can build confidence and belonging.

Our thanks to the Jones Day Foundation for their continued support, the wonderful Jones Day team who work closely with us and to Castleforge for an amazing new opportunity. Thanks to Futurecity for all their work on this project. We're super proud of this milestone and excited for what comes next.

Read about the Proud Places Hub in the press here.