In September 2021 Millwall FC, Millwall Community Trust and Lewisham College joined forces to offer local young people the opportunity to study for a creative media course qualification which included one day per week of hands on practical training at The Den with the football club’s communications team and others. This has included writing website articles, filming assignments, producing a documentary and much more.
The relationship is now in its second year and it has been a real success so much so that one of the students - 19 year old Kai Bennett has recently been appointed as the Community Trust’s Media Officer.
Sean Daly CEO of Millwall Community Trust said ” I am very proud of the fact that both as a trust and a football club that Millwall has been able to offer this unique opportunity to local young people. I had no expectation that the quality of student would be such that after just one year of the course offered that we were able to appoint Kai Bennett as our new Media Officer following the departure of the previous postholder. Kai has consistently produced work of the highest quality and to have an individual progress from a college course to paid employment is a tremendous feather in the cap of everyone involved”.
Kai Bennett said “ As a Millwall fan this is something of a dream come true. Like a lot of young people I wasn’t sure what career path I wanted to follow but when this opportunity came along I grabbed it with both hands. I have learnt so much over the past 16 months and to get the chance to put what I have learnt into practice is unbelievable. I can’t thank everyone at the trust and the football club enough”.
Gerard Garvey, Executive Principal of Lewisham College, said “I am delighted that Kai has progressed to paid employment within the Trust, it is a well-deserved achievement that recognises his hard work and dedication to the course. The partnership between Millwall Community Trust and Lewisham College is a fantastic example of the opportunities available for young people in the area, particularly those who want to combine their studies with their love of football, and we look forward to welcoming more people to this innovative programme this year.”
For more details on the Learn with the Lions project and the creative media courses on offer please visit lewisham.ac.uk/millwall
