The Northampton Town Community Trust run Premier League Kicks, and the programme uses street football as a positive diversionary activity aimed at young people at risk of crime, ASB, gangs, knife crime and all young people aged 8-18 are welcome to attend.
Free weekly street football sessions and crime awareness educational workshops run in high need areas of the county. Blackthorn in Northampton, Queensway and Hemmingwell in Wellingborough and Rushden. The programme focuses on boosting young people’s confidence and self-esteem as well as personal and football skills. A few times a year all groups meet to play in a friendly tournament.
The office of the Mayor of Wellingborough, Jon Ekins, awarded a community grant to the Premier League Kicks programme to cover the costs of a Christmas tournament on 19th December. The fund paid for transport, food, rewards and the venue hire. This is much appreciated as funding received elsewhere covers general weekly running costs and staffing. Extra events such as tournaments and educational workshops are additional and add so much to the programme to the benefit of the young people.
The young people enjoy playing in tournaments and meeting players from other Kicks groups, it shows them that the programme is wider than only their group. It is a chance for them to show off the football skills they have been working on in weekly training sessions as well as boosting personal skills such as teamwork, communication, leadership, problem solving and managing emotions. Participants enjoy meeting young people from other areas of the county as well as talking to local PCSOs in an informal setting. This helps to form positive relationships between young people and the police.
Premier League Kicks co-ordinator Anna Letts said: "I would like to thank the Mayor for this grant, it has enabled us to run this tournament and engage as many local young people as possible. It means we can take away barriers to engaging with physical activity such as transport, cost and food provision during the school holidays that some young people face."
"As Mayor I was delighted to attend the Premier League Kicks Christmas Tournament at Wrenn School in support of a national organisation that is design to inspire 8 - 18yr old children and young adults to achieve their potential and improve their health wellbeing at the same time," said Jonathan Ekins, the Mayor of Wellingborough Town.
"It was enlightening to see a mix of girls and boys within different age groups playing football together, all the proof that our youth through sport are truly becoming an integrated society, proving that sport can be enjoyed in a mixture of boys and girls together in unity, in safety and as inclusive communities.
"It was very evident that we have so many talented players on this programme, I am sure that I have seen some exceptional players girls and boys that will go on to play football at higher levels, who knows Premier League stars in the making from Northamptonshire. I understand we have a young lady who already has achieved higher standard football and has been scouted for a possible England Ladies career through the local FA Emerging Talent Centre.
"Wellingborough Town and North Northants Councils continue to offer support, financial and active support to work in partnership with local sport clubs and agencies to respond and promote the needs and wellbeing of children and young people in our communities, through sport is only one of the ways local authorities can provide that essential support required."