Premier League Kicks at 20 | Stories from a unique programme

As part of the More Than A Game initiative, we will be highlighting some of the incredible people who have come through the Premier League Kicks programme They are the faces of a special film launching this year's Premier League More Than A Game initiative. Gathered at the home of the West Ham United Foundation, they came from all over London to film a hero video celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Premier League Kicks programme. They have different backgrounds, stories and careers but have one thing in common - all are former Premier League Kicks participants. The Premier League. It's More Than A GamePremier League Kicks was launched with four pilot clubs in 2006 and with the aim of engaging and supporting young people in some of the most high-need and underserved areas of England and Wales. It has grown enormously. Today, 93 football club charities are delivering the programme in more than 5,000 venues across England and Wales covering 38 police force areas.And the former Premier League Kicks participants that feature in the More Than A Game film are just some of the 600,000+ young people that have been engaged by the programme to date. As part of the More Than A Game initiative, which highlights the positive impact of the Premier League's investment into communities and wider football, we will be telling the stories of some of these alumni and showcasing how Premier League Kicks has inspired them. Muktar Hassan, Premier League Kicks co-ordinator at QPR in the Community TrustIn his 20s, Muktar was making bad choices and hanging around with people that were negative influences. Having been a Premier League Kicks participant when he was younger, Muktar knew the power of the programme and so, when QPR in the Community Trust gave him the opportunity to volunteer and to earn qualifications with them, he jumped at the chance. That decision changed his life forever. "Premier League Kicks means everything to me. I don't know exactly what I'd be doing now without it, but it wouldn't be good. It's given me a second chance in life. Now I run Premier League Kicks sessions across multiple boroughs. I made mistakes when I was younger and now, using now my experience, I'm trying to help others to not make the same mistakes as me." Find out more: Muktar's story Alysia, sessional coach at Millwall Community TrustHaving faced challenges at home and at school, Premier League Kicks was a huge support and positive influence for Alysia when she was younger. She is now providing the same guidance she received to young people in her local area. "Premier League Kicks gave me a purpose and a sense of belonging. I know that there are people behind me that are willing to push me to become the person that I'm trying to become. It has changed my life. Without Premier League Kicks, who knows? It's genuinely life changing." Find out more: Alysia's story Giorgio Levendis-Turi, youth inclusion team leader at Chelsea FC FoundationGiorgio was 11-years-old when he started out at Premier League Kicks in west London. Although school was not a place he found comfortable, Chelsea FC Foundation coaches encouraged him to stay in education and training, earning a degree and coaching qualifications as a result. He is now inspiring the next generation of participants with his role at the club. "Premier League Kicks helped me keep on track, helped me go through education, gave me advice when I was having a tough time in school, it kept me afloat. Premier League Kicks has given me the opportunity to get my coaching badges. It gave me a job. The fact that I can give back to the young people that I'm working with as part of Chelsea FC Foundation and help them develop means the world to me. One of the reasons I go into work is because I know that I am actively changing young people's lives." Find out more: Giorgio's story Big Zuu, grime artist and celebrity chefOn the Mozart Estate in west London, Big Zuu grew up in an area with its fair share of challenges. When he was 12-years-old, Big Zuu joined his friends in attending Premier League Kicks sessions run by Arsenal in the Community and Chelsea FC Foundation where he was given the encouragement and freedom to develop his skills. "With Premier League Kicks, you belong to something. When you're aligned to something more powerful like the Premier League or a club, suddenly your aspirations are higher. Premier League Kicks was a big factor in me being nurtured as a young person. It gave me a place to express myself and that has led to me doing the other things that I have done. It's part of my history, it's part of who I am." Ibrahim Bipul, former West Ham United Foundation participantIbrahim started going to Premier League Kicks run by West Ham United Foundation when he was 14-years-old. After four years with the programme, Ibrahim completed his degree at the London School of Economics and now he is about to start work at a football marketing agency in audience intelligence. "Premier League Kicks did so much for me. It probably protected me from a lot of stuff that was going on in the area. It allowed me to make friends that I still have to this day. I became a bit more level-headed, more mature, especially at an age where you're quite impressionable. Premier League Kicks felt like family. It taught me to never be short-sighted and to always look further. It's taught me to be myself no matter where I am." Jesse Appiah, Premier League Kicks community development coach and mentor at Tottenham Hotspur FoundationJesse was a teenage participant in north London before moving to Ghana with his parents. On his return, he was looking for work when he discovered opportunities with the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. It was the intervention he needed and for the last 13 years, he has worked hard to improve the lives of young people in north London. "Attending and then going on to work for Premier League Kicks has changed my life in the most positive way and now, I'm one of those coaches that young people look up to. It's really rewarding to give back to the community that you come from. Premier League Kicks means the world to me. When I am at a session, I can't help myself but get involved. I need to motivate and encourage. To be one of the Premier League Kicks stories is something that I hold very dear to my heart. I want to use it as an inspiration for young people to do better." MK Fray, content creator, presenter, actorA keen footballer, MK Fray joined Premier League Kicks with the West Ham Foundation as a teenager hoping to play with other good players and to improve his skills. What he discovered was that he was part of a programme that offered him as much development and support off the pitch as it did on it. "Premier League Kicks gave me determination, consistency, confidence and life skills that I take into my job now. It becomes part of you because it's more than just football training, it's more than kicking a football or coaching, it becomes a community. It's a place where everyone is accepted, no matter how big, small or what colour you are. It's saving people and it's an honour to be a part of its story." Manuel Silva, founder of Top Baller 1v1 football platformGrowing up near Wembley as an avid Arsenal fan, Manuel joined the club's Premier League Kicks sessions as he was making the transition from primary to secondary school. Now, he is social media sensation, creating 1v1 activations with the likes of Lionel Messi as part of the Top Baller platform he created. "Whatever you had going on with your life, whatever struggles you had growing up, once you got to Premier League Kicks, you forgot about everything. It's like all your problems became invisible. You just focused on having a good time. Premier League Kicks and the coaches created this positive environment and the players thrived in it. It changed me in so many different ways and I'm grateful to what it's helped me become." Find out more: Manuel's story William Bitibiri, journalist at Sky SportsBorn and bred in east London, William followed in the footsteps of his brother to join Premier League Kicks run in his local area by West Ham United Foundation. Being on the programme gave him a sense of belonging and helped him realise what he was capable of. He went to university and is embarking on a career in sports journalism, which has so far taken him to Crystal Palace, BBC 5 Live, talkSPORT and Sky Sports. "For me, Premier League Kicks means community, learning and enjoyment. It's where I grew, it's where I began. It's amazing to hear about all the lives it has touched. The confidence and self-belief Premier League Kicks gave me has played a big role in helping me do what I am doing now. With Premier League Kicks there's the chance to express yourself and it's the outlet. For a lot of kids coming from where I come from, you don't know what there is out there, you don't know what you can do, what you can become. Through the programme, the path is illuminated, you know where you can go." What to read next...