PREMIER League Kicks began as a pilot project in London between the Premier League and the Metropolitan Police in 2006, with the aim of using football to bring communities together and engage with young people.

Kicks uses the power of football and appeal of professional football clubs brands from the Premier League and Football League to engage young people who may otherwise be difficult to reach in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country.

The vision is to ‘build safer, stronger, more respectful communities through the development of young peoples’ potential.’

Kicks works closely with partnerships such as Youth services, local councils, the Police, Green Sky Fitness and ‘Prison? Me? No Way!’ to help raise aspirations of the young people that attend, and encourage them to make the right choices in the community.

All of the PL Kicks coaches are F.A qualified, however the programme isn’t exclusively about football. We offer a variety of different active such as: kick boxing, street dance, graffiti art workshops and prison van workshops to name a few.

Further to these activities, Kicks gives the young people who attend the choice to choose what activities they would like to take part in through an initiative called PL Youth Voice. The initiative is designed to get young people to share their ideas and experiences to not only aid their learning, but the learning of their peers too.

The young people who attend Kicks on a regular bases and have a good attitude are given rewards, and are invited to various trips across the year. These include regular trips to the Middlesbrough FC first team games, playing against other Kicks teams from professional clubs such as Sunderland, Stoke and Leicester, and trips to theme parks like Flamingo Land.

The tournaments are designed to break down barriers between different wards across Teesside, bringing all sites together and allowing them to socially mix with other young people they have never met. It also gives them a sense of pride that they are representing their area in national competitions.

Premier League Kicks also raises the aspirations of young people in the most deprived areas across Teesside with qualifications, such as ‘Junior Football Leaders Awards’ and’ FA Level One Coaching Awards’ across different sports. There are also volunteer opportunities which have led to casual paid hours on the Kicks program. The coaches build up a strong positive bond with the young people, becoming role models, and always reinforcing that they can achieve anything if they put their mind to it.

For more information contact Liam on liam.watson@mfcfoundation.co.uk or 01642 757674

THE Premier League will support more than 15,000 children and young people throughout the summer by funding activity run by professional football club community organisations across England and Wales.

More than 50 Premier League and EFL clubs will deliver the free sessions, to enhance the number of opportunities available to young people over the school holidays. Activity will be tailored to suit local community needs and will include football sessions and tournaments, primary and secondary school education sessions, as well as social action initiatives. Several of the clubs will also provide attendees with access to nutritious meals, directly or alongside local partners, as they did during the Christmas and Easter school holidays.

The Premier League Summer Sessions will build on the year-round delivery of the Premier League Primary Stars, Premier League Kicks and Premier League Inspires programmes.

Richard Masters, Chief Executive at the Premier League, said: “The past 18 months have been extremely challenging for young people, especially those who have had disrupted school terms.

“Community teams at Premier League and EFL clubs carry out a huge amount of incredible work all year round and have adapted brilliantly to offer different ways of staying in touch during the pandemic. These school holiday sessions are another way that we and our clubs are supporting those most in need to get active, develop their personal skills and build friendships.”

Premier League Primary Stars activity will inspire children to learn. This will complement what they have been taught in school and at home during the pandemic, by providing them with valuable curriculum-linked sessions covering English, Maths, PE and PSHE.

Through Premier League Kicks, clubs will continue to work with young people to help them achieve their potential, as well as build stronger, safer and more inclusive communities. These sessions, run in areas of high need, will be supported by partners including the police, and will include workshops that cover societal issues like racism and discrimination, focusing on the Premier League’s No Room For Racism initiative.

Premier League Inspires sessions are designed to support 11 to 25-year-olds who are marginalised or at risk of not reaching their potential; supporting them as they move through the education system and early adulthood. Over the summer, there will be a large focus by clubs on supporting Year 6 pupils’ wellbeing as they ready themselves for the transition to secondary school.

The Premier League Summer Sessions are just one of the ways in which clubs have continued to support their communities and the NHS over the past 18 months. Sessions will run until the end of August, when normal weekly Premier League-funded community activity will resume.

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