Surfers Not Street Children, Fundraising Event London

On Thursday 28 September, we were invited to attend the Surfers Not Street Children fundraiser in central London. The event aimed to raise £10,000 in order to fund new programmes and initiatives run by the organisation and connected surfers, philanthropists, clubs and key people who all believe in the power of surfing to impact social change.

Surfers Not Street Children was founded in 1998 by activist and surfer, Tom Hewitt MBE. Originally under the name Durban Street Team (DST), it was run by a maverick crew of social workers, carers and activists scouting the streets of downtown Durban. The goal was to identify and assist homeless street children.

The organisation fused numerous sports and arts programs with mentorship and care. Surfing was one such sport. A few years later, Tom formed a partnership with renowned South African surfing coach and legend Sandile “Cyril” Mqadi. Developing the surfing program was a key part of their overall strategy. This partnership remains today. Find out more about Surfers Not Street Children and their incredible work here

Tom Hewitt MBE | Surfers Not Street Children