Trust: Celebrating The Work Of PL Kicks In Watford

Watford FC’s Community Sports & Education Trust has been delivering PL Kicks across Watford, Harrow and Hillingdon since 2007.

PL Kicks is the Premier League’s flagship community programme, which uses the power of football and sport to inspire young people in some of the most high-need areas.

The Trust delivers 40 hours of weekly provision during community hours, allowing the project to engage and support over 1800 young people aged 8-18 in 2020/21.

By working closely with the police, local authorities and other charities and organisations, PL Kicks is helping to build stronger, safer and more inclusive communities.

Despite being run by the Premier League and alongside a Premier League club, PL Kicks’ programmes aren’t solely based around football. There are dance classes, basketball sessions, youth clubs and various social action projects tailored to the needs of young people who attend. Those young people can gain valuable skills, as well as qualifications.

At the end of October there were five events on offer to young people in the local community. PL Kicks Manager Michael Williams saw first-hand the positive impact they had.

“On the Monday we took the kids to the Lee Valley Olympic Velodrome,” said Michael.

“We get an opportunity to take the kids there every year. This year we took some boys and girls from the Meriden Community Centre, and took them on a minibus to do track cycling and BMX.

“It’s a trip they might not normally get to do - it might be too expensive, access and transport can be difficult to get and they might not even have thought of doing it. They enjoy riding their bikes around the estate, but may not have had the opportunity to do something proper like that.”

Tuesday was an equally rewarding day for the group, but in a different way. Richard Strange, a coach at the Meriden Community Centre, sadly passed away from lung cancer earlier this year. Some of those who learned from Richard at the Centre got together to commemorate him, and raise money in the process.

“Richard used to deliver on the programme at the Meriden Community Centre so some of the kids who used to be in his sessions decided they wanted to do something for him,” Michael explained.

“They met up, had a session around a table where they planned it and came up with a cake sale, to raise some money for a charity of Richard’s family’s choice.

“They baked some cakes at their youth club session, went to our extra-time session at the Community Centre, did a little pitch about why they’re doing it and sold their cakes. They raised £180 in total, just from a little group, and were delighted with it. It was presented to Richard’s partner at his funeral as well, with a little card from the kids - it was a nice touch.

“After that the group went to Ninja Warrior. These are opportunities we’re presented with - it’s an opportunity to take the kids somewhere new, where they can learn different skills and have a bit of fun.”

Also part of PL Kicks’ programmes are football matches against other local communities. It provides an educational opportunity also, as the young people participating learn something new from the workshops on offer at the matches.

Following clashes with Stevenage and Brentford, there was a talk with PCSO Daisy Jenkins and Keith Sayers about knife crime and staying safe. The group were also treated to a tour of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium to see the inner workings of a football ground.

Those who take part in the programmes are offered the opportunity to represent Watford in mini tournaments, and attend a match at Vicarage Road. Michael said one of the most rewarding parts of his work is seeing the youngsters’ faces when they experience playing or watching football matches.

“When we do tournaments we kit the kids up in Watford kit, that’s a massive thing for some of them,” he said.

“To them it’s like a World Cup final. Everytime you go and you take new kids and look at their faces, they’re absolutely delighted.

“On the Saturday we did a matchday package. We did a thing called fixture-to-fixture, invited the Southampton Foundation down, played some matches in the afternoon with a local grassroots club, did a round-robin and took all the kids down to Watford v Southampton, at Vicarage Road. For a lot of those kids it was the first time not only they’ve been to Watford, but first time going to a live football game, so seeing the look on their faces makes it all worthwhile.

“Kids and their families engage with the project. Home life isn’t always the best so for us to take away a bit of the workload, take the kids out for the day, give them some opportunities to do things that maybe the parents can’t provide, they're over the moon, the kids love it.”

Funding from the Premier League Charitable Fund, as well as partners Harrow Council, Watford Borough Council, Watford Community Housing, Young Harrow Foundation and London Youth, allows the Community Trust to deliver the PL Kicks project and help improve the lives of so many young people.

For more information about PL Kicks, click HERE or contact PL Kicks Manager Michael Williams at michael.williams@watfordfc.com.