Thursday 15 January 2015 10:11, UK
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has praised the "huge success" of the organisation’s campaign to increase football participation and lower crime around the country.
More than 100,000 young people have taken part in the ‘Premier League Kicks’ scheme, involving 50 clubs, after an initial pilot project by Brentford, Fulham and Tottenham in 2006.
“It uses the power of football clubs to get into communities.” Scudamore told Sky Sports News HQ's Chief News Reporter Bryan Swanson at the launch of a new £1million programme at Millwall’s Lions Centre. “It gives young people something better to do than get involved in anti-social behaviour or crime or drugs.
"It has been hugely successful across the country, with over 110,000 people involved. Twelve months ago, the Mayor of London’s office wanted to get into the really, really tough areas.
"That’s the scheme we have been running with the 12 London clubs for the last 12 months. It was a very successful pilot; over 1,300 young people (were involved) and 130 have gone on to get jobs. We are here to celebrate the pilot and launch the next two-year extra investment into the scheme.”
It gives young people something better to do than get involved in anti-social behaviour or crime or drugs.
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, wore a Millwall strip as he joined in one training session and praised the latest scheme, which has been running across 20 London boroughs.
The Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) has committed £200,000 funding over the next two years, with the Premier League providing an additional £800,000.
Johnson told Sky Sports News HQ: “If you’re a young kid and you’re thinking of going into a gang, what do you get? You get excitement, you get adrenaline, you get hierarchy, you get boundaries, and you get all sorts of things. You get companionship, friendship. You get all those in football.”
Premier League Kicks originated from the ‘Kickz’ programme, a partnership involving the Metropolitan Police to use football "to build safer, stronger communities".
“There is an attraction of football, combined with high-quality programmes.” said Metropolitan Police Commander Mak Chisty. “It just takes children and young people away from a life of misery and despair and crime, into more meaningful lives.”
A former gang member told Sky Sports News HQ how his life has been transformed by the project.
“Now that I look back at it, I think I was very stupid for joining it.” said Nkemjika Eka, who is part of Charlton Athletic’s Community Trust. “When I see things like this (launch event) going on around me, I think to myself, ‘why have I wasted so many years of my life, doing things that I shouldn’t have been doing, when I could be doing things like this?’”
Another participant, who is serving a nine-month referral order for the possession of Class A drugs, has been volunteering on various programmes and is taking the Football Association’s Level 2 coaching course.
“I was involved in dumb stuff.” said Luvumbu Ndombele of Millwall’s Community Trust. “But coaching was my main thing. It actually got me out of trouble.
"Millwall gave me that starting path to do what I want to do. It has given me a lot of experience. I’m hoping that my next step will be with Chelsea and Jose Mourinho, and I go from there!”
