Foundation

Kickstarting young futures

A group of youngsters have been provided with a sequence of inspiring life experiences through the Foundation's Premier League Kicks programme.

You can see what the group have been upto in the gallery above.

Kicks is based around providing opportunities and experiences for children that would otherwise be out of their reach, such as meeting Albion boss Darren Moore and playing on The Hawthorns.

After winning the tournament that was played on The Hawthorns, the players from Hollylodge School got the opportunity to represent Albion on the national stage at the KickOff@3 Tournament.

The lads from Hollylodge also went live on national TV as part of the Crimewatch Roadshow in the build up to their tournament.

One of the youngsters, Joel Wilson, said that the experience at the tournament has boosted his confidence to feel safe leaving the local area.

"It was fun," he said.

"I was around all my friends and we stayed in a hotel for a couple of days.

"We were the youngest group there but we still played well so I am proud of my team's achievement.

"It made me confident and showed me that I don't have to be scared coming away from home."

The weekend allowed the chance for the youngsters to experience things outside of their comfort zones and get involved in playing sport against other people of a similar age.

Barnabs Adjei says he enjoyed the trip because it built a closer relationship between him and his friends.

"In a normal weekend I would be at home; chilling, watching TV and playing games," he said.

"On the trip we played football and we all had dinner together, which was great.

"Me and my friends got closer over the weekend and I got a new experience which has made me feel more confident."

Paul Blagrove, the Foundation's Kicks Officer, says that the weekend will have been an eye-opening experience to many of the children.

"Some of our players haven't been to London before," he said.

"Another first for some of the lads will be stopping in a hotel."

For more information on the Foundation's Premier League Kicks project, please contact paul.blagrove@albionfoundation.co.uk.