The Premier League is celebrating 15 years of its flagship community programme, Premier League Kicks, which has supported hundreds of thousands of young people to achieve their potential and improve their wellbeing through free weekly football and sport sessions, and educational workshops.
Craig Martin, from County Durham, has been named as a Premier League Kicks “Local Legend” by Sunderland AFC’s official charity, Foundation of Light, as part of the programme’s 15-year anniversary. Premier League Kicks began in the 2006/07 season in partnership with the Metropolitan Police, with the aim of involving and supporting young people in regular, positive, and fun activity, whilst helping to create stronger, safer, more inclusive communities.
The Foundation of Light, with Craig on the team, was one of the first clubs to deliver the project. Craig was chosen as a Local Legend because he has delivered Kicks from its infancy, supporting the Foundation to deliver over 5,000 Kicks sessions and engage tens of thousands of young people aged eight to 18.
On hearing that he has received the award Craig, who is currently NCS Manager at the Foundation said “I am blown away by this and so proud to have been nominated. I work with some fantastic young people, and I have really enjoyed the work I have done over the last 15 years. Overall, the work is about bringing the best out of the young people and engaging them to take ownership in the youth services delivered.
“The Premier League Kicks programme in Sunderland and County Durham continues to grow and plays an important part in the community. It really helps give the young people a focus and I’m proud of all the young people who have attended the sessions over the years.”
Michael Colclough, Foundation’s Head of Community Education said: “Craig has a real passion for youth work; always striving to help young people, in his own words ' to be their best self'.
“Craig has extended practical delivery of Premier League Kicks using the power of football to engage young people and has developed several qualifications, reaching young people who struggle to engage academically at school. With Craig’s support, hundreds of young people have achieved accreditations in a variety of subjects, joined our youth forums, taken part in fundraising, social action and delivered community shows and performances working on intergenerational cohesion. Some young people became peer mentors with several going onto deliver Kicks as both volunteers and paid staff.
“Craig was instrumental in setting up and coordinating numerous Kicks sessions in County Durham, including the Chester-Le-Street Kicks Hub, Consett, and Delves Lane Community Centre and we are so proud of what he has achieved. He is a true legend to the Foundation, the football club and our communities.”
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said: “Legend is a word you hear a lot in football, but legends aren’t just created in stadiums. The coaches, mentors, volunteers and participants who are fulfilling their potential thanks to these weekly sessions all deserve to be called legends.
“For 15 years Premier League Kicks has been using the universal language of football to bring communities together and inspire a new generation of young people, providing positive role models who can give them belief and can help to steer them on the right path in life.”
As well as providing young people with access to free football and sports activities, Premier League Kicks offers mentoring, life skills advice and access to opportunities like volunteering to help aid their development.
To date, the Premier League has invested almost £66 million in Kicks and in the year ahead an estimated 80,000 young people will take part in the programme. Since it began, more than 440,000 young people have participated in Premier League Kicks football and multi-sport sessions held at community venues across England and Wales.
The programme started with four pilot clubs and is now run across 936 venues by 90 Premier League, English Football League and National League sides – all funded by the Premier League. Clubs also run workshops on a variety of social issues, enabling young people to openly discuss topics that affect them, like equality, diversity and inclusion and combatting youth violence and knife crime.
The programme also sees clubs work with 36 territorial police forces throughout the country – with regular sessions taking place in disadvantaged areas. The Premier League funds Premier League Kicks and other community programmes through its £100m investment per season in community facilities and community and education programmes.
This is the biggest voluntary contribution to communities and other good causes of any football league in the world.
Visit premierleague.com for more information.
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