Local Youngsters & Matt Piper Celebrate PL Kicks Relaunch In Charnwood
- Leicester City in the Community staged a launch event for Premier League Kicks on Friday night
- The Premier League has pledged to fund the project for another three years
- Former Fox Matt Piper was on hand to help local youngsters celebrate with a Kicks session
- Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Nicky Morgan, highlighted Kicks' importance
Premier League Kicks provides young people with access to free football sessions, sports classes and workshops, giving them opportunities, support and pathways to achieve their full potential.
The scheme will see Leicester City in the Community staff working with young people and authorities in their area, including Leicestershire Police, the Leicestershire Police and Crime Commissioner, local councils and community partners to create stronger, safer and more inclusive communities.
Aimed at eight-to-18-year-olds, Kicks engages young people in positive activities through their passion for football, while also covering equality and inclusion to youth violence and knife crime.
To celebrate a commitment from the Premier League to fund the community programme for another three years, Piper, who himself grew up in Leicester, headed to Charnwood College for a kick-about.
Speaking at the launch event on Friday, Piper said: "I came down tonight and there are so many kids down here. Those kids are obviously here enjoying football and they're not out on the streets.
"It's a brilliant initiative. Potential is the important word. I was a kid growing up in Leicester and I would have loved coming down to something like this. I've spoken to some of the boys, who love it.
"I'm proud to come from Leicester because it is a very inclusive city. There's lots ethnicities, lots of young people here enjoying football tonight and I think it's a really positive message."
The Premier League supports 90 top-flight, Football League and National League clubs deliver sport and education sessions in hundreds of local communities where projects are needed most.
With a focus on integration, equality and inclusion, thousands more girls will also be engaged, and clubs will deliver ever more sessions in new areas over the next three years.
Also speaking on the night, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Nicky Morgan MP, said: "I think these kind of initiatives are absolutely fantastic and I pay tribute to all clubs involved.
"We've got a really good turnout tonight because there's nothing that beats a badge like Leicester City! It's also really important. We see sport brings people together.
"It also diverts people from other activities which might not be so healthy and it's fantastic to see so much support for the community from clubs like Leicester City."
Over the coming months and years, Leicester City in the Community will continue to deliver Premier League Kicks programmes across the region.
To find out more about Leicester City in the Community's Premier League Kicks programme, click HERE, or to find a local session, email: ali.adnan@lcfc.co.uk.
More information on the national Premier League Kicks programme, meanwhile, and its country-wide objectives can be found HERE.