Premier League Kicks
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, creative arts, boxing, 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.
The scheme has enabled thousands of youngsters to find routes into education, training and employment with volunteering being a key component.
One of the key elements for the success of Kicks is the workforce, with 20 per cent of the coaching and delivery staff being former participants, often hailing from the same area in which they are now working.
One of the highlights of the programme is the annual Premier League Kicks Cup which brings together all of the clubs for a showpiece football competition involving hundreds of young people. The programme was formerly branded Kickz and began as a pilot project in London between the Premier League and the Metropolitan Police.
The Millwall Premier League Kicks programme runs for 48 weeks throughout the year, providing free football coaching at 20 different locations such as ball courts in estates, youth clubs and Leisure centres throughout the London boroughs of Lewisham and Southwark. Through these weekly football sessions youth work and the mentoring of young people takes place with the end goal of creating opportunities for young people to develop skills and confidence. Furthermore the sessions are aimed at supporting young people to progress into positive pathways such as football teams and volunteering as well as create routes into education, training and employment.