Mayor of London Boris Johnson officially opened the new multi-million pound site of the Crown and Manor youth club, which has helped over 10,000 boys in its 100 year history.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson officially opened the new multi-million pound site of a youth club which has helped over 10,000 boys in its 100 year history.

The Crown and Manor Youth Club has helped turn around the lives of young males aged between 11–20 in Hoxton, an area of high depravation and youth unemployment.

Former members who have achieved great success include British boxing champ Michael Watson, along with footballers Johnnie Pratt, Matthew Joseph and Chris Bart Williams.

The new venue in Wiltshire Row has an Olympic-sized basketball court, where boys can play football, table tennis, basketball, badminton and cricket, as well boxing.

The youngsters are also pushed academically and offered literacy support, IT classes, foreign languages, creative writing and homework clubs.

Mr Johnson showed off his tennis and ping pong skills at the launch last Thursday.

He then unveiled a plaque to launch the new club, which has been partly funded by Sported a UK charity, which aims to leave a lasting legacy from London 2012 by transforming the lives of disadvantaged young people through sport.

“This is the kind of Olympic legacy we wanted to see,” said Mr Johnson.

“All the doubters and sceptics were completely wrong, the tube system worked, the security guards all turned up. Eventually.

“Team GB, Paralympics GB got more medals per head than virtually any other country.

“But the simple fact is my fellow Londoners, do you know a terrible thing - we did brilliantly in the medals but Yorkshire got more medals per head than London did.

“What have we lacked the last 10, 20, 30 years?” he asked.

“We have lacked adequate facilities, which is why it’s fantastic to see this venue here tonight, this is going to be the training ground for future Olympic champions isn’t it.”