London Youth Games Spotlight

Full circle at the London Youth Games

For 25-year-old Joe Dobb, Centre Manager at Mytime Active’s Orpington Golf Centre, the London Youth Games have always held a special place in his heart.

Founded in 1977, the London Youth Games (LYG) is a charity that uses sport and physical activity to provide transformative opportunities and competitions for more than 10,000 young people across 33 London boroughs each year. Mytime Active has proudly coordinated Team Bromley’s participation for 21 years; working side-by-side with schools, local clubs, coaches and dedicated volunteers across the borough.

Today, Joe volunteers as the Aquatics Competition Director for the London Youth Games, ensuring swimming races are run safely and fairly, but his connection to the event goes back much further. As a child he competed as a young athlete, swimming for the London Borough of Croydon at the yearly event.

Reflecting on those early memories, Joe says: “Competing in the London Youth Games was such an amazing experience. The atmosphere and the energy were unbelievable. It really felt like we were competing at our own Olympics; it was such a buzz. I can still picture swimming in the races and the crowds cheering. I had so much fun representing Croydon, making great friends and creating special memories that I knew I wanted to give back to the very event that had given me so much.”

Giving back

When the opportunity arose to return to the games as an adult, Joe jumped at the chance. He first volunteered first as the Aquatics Team Manager for Team Bromley and, more recently, as Aquatics Competition Director.

He explains: “I find great joy in seeing young people benefit from the London Youth Games in the exact same way as I did as a teenager. The events are exceptionally inclusive and welcoming, and whilst some young people go on to have professional sporting careers, such as Mo Farah, the real power of the LYG is just getting kids involved and developing their love of sport for the long-term.”

Turning a love of swimming into a career

Joe’s lifelong passion for swimming didn’t just inspire his volunteering, it also launched an impressive professional career. After graduating from Buckinghamshire New

University with a degree in Accounting and Finance, he joined Mytime Active as a lifeguard.

From there, Joe’s career trajectory moved at a remarkably rapid pace. He earned his Level 2 swimming teaching and coaching qualifications with the Institute of Swimming alongside his RLSS Trainer Assessor course, stepping up to become Swimming Coordinator at West Wickham Leisure Centre. His success led to a promotion to Operations Manager, where he helped oversee major sites like The Spa at Beckenham, before advancing to his current role as Centre Manager at Orpington Golf Centre. Despite his busy management schedule, Joe stays tied to his roots, swimming twice a week at Mytime Active’s pools, including the newly reopened Walnuts Leisure Centre.