This month, we took over Evolution London to bring JD UP to the capital!
Funded by the JD Foundation, JD UP is an unprecedented event designed to deliver on the mission of empowering young people to reach their unlimited potential.
We landed in London for a huge series of events, with the likes of Sky Sports presenter Kyle Walker and the undisputed dance collective Sturdy Off in attendance for an unmissable few days.
We’ve got a lot to catch up on… Here’s what went down.
JD UP 👆👆
Through the JD Foundation, we’re always striving to inspire and educated young people in the UK and beyond.
Through our second ever JD UP event, we invited every single Year 10 student in London to come down and see just what it is we do. Students got the chance to experience first-hand the various roles within JD, with a mega range of teams like Digital, Marketing, Buying, Merchandising and more coming through.
Over 180 JD Group colleagues showed up to volunteer, giving the students a taste of a day in the life at JD. We took them through a whole host of immersive, educational, and inspiring activities to develop a deeper understanding of what it takes to enter the world of work.
London-based dance collective Sturdy Off brought their signature energy to JD UP when they hit the stage with an impromptu performance before our auditorium sessions to start off strong!
The squad elevated the vibe big time with their iconic moves and a dance-off style set, so everyone got the chance to vote for their fave side afterwards.
Presenter Kyle Walker was on hand to host the auditorium element of the event, while JD Foundation Charity Partners, YoungMinds and Kidscape stepped up to the exhibition. Both charities, along with 12 others who attended, had their own area and activities to engage the students and get them thinking deeper about their relationships and reflect on themselves, as well as lending advice and information on how they can access these charities and the support they offer.
What’s more, we hosted a selection of different activities for everyone to get involved in.
From our ‘Design A Duffle Bag’ activity, to creating a small-scale JD retail store right in the middle of the space, the students could get stuck into games and test their knowledge about the biggest brands.
What’s Next?
The JD Foundation is always elevating and evolving to support young people across the globe. Make sure you’re getting the latest updates on our socials @jdsports and @thejdfoundation to find out what we’ve got coming up!
