This February half-term, saw The Albion Foundation engage with 200 participants through our Premier League Kicks (PL Kicks) football tournaments.
Held at George Salter Academy, the free-to-attend tournaments were open to participants aged eight-16- years-old and ran across four days of the half-term break.
200 participants from across our regular PL Kicks sessions across Sandwell and Dudley, came together in one central location, to represent the session they attend and compete against others in a tournament.
The winning team from each age group and day was rewarded with further opportunities against other clubs or grassroots teams, and of course, the all important trophy and bragging rights.
PL Kicks uses the power of football and sport to inspire young people to reach their potential, providing young people the opportunity to play football for free in a safe, supervised environment.
One U14's participant commented: "I enjoy coming to PL Kicks because it helps me to develop my football skills, helps me make new friends and is a great experience."
While another U14's player stated: "Sometimes, people might feel isolated, so people can come to these sessions to make new friends and show their talent.
"The staff at PL Kicks are very talkative, adaptive and supportful - you can always speak to them because they're trustworthy."
For the final tournament of the week, the Foundation teamed up with The Sandwell African & Caribbean Mental Health Foundation, who led a workshop, educating 60 participants on the work they do in the local area and the support they offer.
Their iMATTER project has been established to offer culturally responsive support for young people from aged 11–25 in and around the Sandwell area, experiencing issues in their lives.
An U16's attended said: "The workshop was very inspiring. It made me think to myself that I'm not alone, I can come and speak out to anyone whenever I want."
Another U16's participant mentioned: " What I learnt is that, talking is necessary because if you don't talk, it can get worse over time and eventually it will be too late."
For more information on our PL Kicks sessions and tournaments, please click here, or alternatively contact Darryl.Hickman@AlbionFoundation.co.uk
