Youngsters from Foundation of Light’s Premier League Kicks programme have taken part in a special tournament to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the scheme.
Together with North East counterparts Newcastle United Foundation and Middlesbrough Foundation, the three community organisations spent the day engaging in a number of workshops and activities before taking the action out onto the pitch!
Youngsters took part in a knife crime awareness workshop, in partnership with the Connor Brown Trust, as key messages were shared to help keep participants on the right path.
Next up was a hotly-contested seven-a-side competition the red and white reigned supreme as Sunderland took home the trophy – but overall, it was teamwork that prevailed, with the occasion providing a great showcase of all of the hard work and endeavours put in by both staff and participants across the Premier Kicks programmes within all three organisations.
For the last 15 years, Premier League Kicks has been working in local communities to inspire thousands of young people.
PL Kicks started in 2006 and has a long history of using the power of football and the value of sports participation to help youngsters in some of the most high-need areas.
By engaging them in constructive activities, including a wide variety of sports, coaching, music and educational and personal development sessions, communities up and down the country have been transformed with impressive football and sports participation rates and the authorities reporting significant reductions in anti-social behaviour in the areas in which it is delivered.
Thanks to further funding commitment from the
Premier League, the programme has grown so that 90 Premier League, EFL and National League clubs can deliver sport and education sessions at over 700 venues in local communities where projects are needed most.
Over 175,000 young people will engage in the programme between 2019-2022.
The scheme has enabled thousands of youngsters to find routes into education, training and employment with volunteering being a key component.
