A HIGH-profile project aimed at creating opportunities for young people at risk of antisocial behaviour is expanding into new parts of Cleveland.
As part of its new contract, Premier League Kicks, run by Middlesbrough Football Club (MFC) Foundation, will expand sessions in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees.
Expansion is one of the conditions of annual £24,000 funding from Cleveland Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC.)
The move follows a recent review highlighting lack of provision for under-18s in Stockton.
The latest round of PCC funding secures sessions for a further four years until 2029.
A decade of partnership
It also marks 10 years of partnership between Cleveland OPCC and MFC Foundation Premier League Kicks.
Eve Allen, MFC Foundation’s Youth Engagement Coordinator, said: “This is a partnership which has made a difference to so many young people.
“The programme creates opportunities for young people who are at risk of youth violence and/or from high-need areas to regularly engage not just in football, but sport in general, as well as mentoring and personal development opportunities.
“There are proven results. A lot of hard work goes into making it happen. To have the continued backing of the OPCC allows us to expand to a different site and work ever more closely with people who not only share but live our values.”
Thousands of young people have benefitted from MFC Kicks since OPCC funding began.
Since 2023, a total of 6,450 young people have attended sessions part-funded by the OPCC.
Close relationship
Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey said: “My office has formed a close relationship with MFC Foundation over the years.
“That bond has not only allowed us to request that many of the sessions are directed to areas of need but has enabled us to see the value of MFC Foundation’s work first hand.
“I am delighted to be able to extend the programme into Stockton and see the great work Kicks does go even further.”
The PL Kicks programme is an initiative that uses football and the brand of a professional football club to engage eight to 18-year-olds. It does this in areas with high levels of youth antisocial behaviour and violence.
The programme offers open access, free of charge sessions. They include coaching in a range of sports, including football, together with workshops on targeted issues such as knife crime.
In addition, MFC Kicks offers a pathway for young people into coaching and employment and a chance to meet and mix with young people from a range of backgrounds, many of whom they may not encounter in everyday life
During 2024, the OPCC reviewed MFC Kicks’ current service. It recognised the quality of the provision.
The review noted that MFC Kicks was highly valued by service users. It is also valued by partnership organisations. They either refer young people to sessions or benefit from an increase in activities in areas with high levels of crime and antisocial behaviour.
It also noted the unique position of MFC Foundation to deliver youth diversionary services.
Its services benefit from the profile and attraction provided by a professional football club brand, which is loved and respected across Teesside.
Substantial funding from the Premier League is the bedrock of the programme.