The mentoring is part of the Premier League Kicks programme that helps young people reach their full potential and to prevent them from getting caught up in violent crime. The programme also gives access to free football sessions and activities, as well as educational workshops.

Across the next year, the mentoring programme will see 30 young Londoners each receive 12 weeks of dedicated support from the Foundation. The young people are referred by schools, youth offending teams or pupil referral units and receive a range of support to get them back into education or employment.

The young people receive one-to-one support from mentors from the local area on a weekly basis in a classroom, club, home or informal setting depending on their specific needs.

Many of the mentors have themselves come from similar backgrounds so can relate to the experiences and challenges faced and can work in partnership with the young people to help build their confidence and direction.

Khan Bright Foundation.jpg

The Mayor is supporting the work of Palace for Life Foundation via a £1.2m grant to Croydon Council from his Young Londoners Fund. The £45m fund was created by Khan in 2018 to support education, sport and cultural activities for young people to help tackle knife crime and youth violence. More than 110,000 young Londoners are already benefitting.

Last week, the Mayor announced an additional £25m to build on the Young Londoners Fund, bringing the total funding for projects and programmes that provide positive opportunities for young people to £70m.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "When I was a teenager, I was lucky to have a youth club nearby which allowed me to take up boxing and keep me out of mischief. Sport has the potential to inspire and change young people’s lives, and that’s why I want Londoners to have the same opportunities that I did.

"I’m proud to have teamed up with the Premier League to help provide these activities for young people and to give them the chance to hear the voice of mentors who have been in such similar situations.

"It’s vital we help young people make the right choices as early as we can, and by joining together and investing in our communities we can help put them on a path away from the dangers of crime."

Sport can inspire and change lives.

Working with @PalaceForLife & @premierleague Kicks, we're investing in young people and giving them access to crucial services like mentoring.https://t.co/Ed75oR1eRd
#LondonIsOpen pic.twitter.com/ALoYplYpZQ
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) February 19, 2020

One of those who has already benefitted from the mentoring programme is 15-year-old Rebecca, who was referred by her school for her disruptive behaviour. Rebecca has since rediscovered her love of football and is now planning to go to college.

She said: "My mentor took an interest in me and asked where I saw myself going in the future. She helped me reflect on my life and be open about what I was going through and what was causing me to do the things I was doing.

"It helped me get back into football and I’ve signed for a team. I’m also a senior prefect at school and I haven’t had any detentions."

Khan, Rebecca and representatives of Palace for Life were joined on the visit by former Palace forward Mark Bright, who said: "Palace for Life Foundation is doing fantastic work to help young south Londoners get back on the right path and keep them away from crime. It is something I am passionate about supporting and I want to see it continue and grow."

Angel O’Dwyer, Community Development Officer for Palace for Life Foundation, added: "I know how hard it can be for a young person to turn their life around when things have gone wrong, but with the right support, it can be done.

"Having been through some tough times myself, I am now proud to be helping others and giving them the confidence and self-belief that they can achieve great things."

Find out more about Palace for Life's Targeted Intervention work by clicking here now!

And to watch the Mayor's visit to Selhurst, just click below.

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