Earlier this year, a very special event took place in Dagenham at one of the weekly Premier League Kicks sessions run by West Ham United Foundation.
The event involved renowned actor, filmmaker and activist Idris Elba speaking with young people, coaches and police about the vital work being carried out through Premier League Kicks to provide participants with safe places to play and opportunities that help them fulfil their potential.
One of the people there on the day was Metropolitan Police Commander Stephen Clayman, National Policing Lead for Knife Crime, who was part of a discussion on how the programme is giving young people positive pathways.
To mark the recent announcement of the continuation of the Premier League Kicks Police Partnerships Pilot, which aims to build stronger connections between professional football clubs and their local police forces, Commander Clayman tells us about the importance of this work.
"At West Ham I was genuinely in awe listening to the coaches and mentors as they were describing the work they're doing up and down the country.
"Listening to their lived experience is incredible, as is the fact that they can relate directly to the participants. I could talk all day to young people and they are not really going to listen to me but they will listen to the coaches.
"The fact that Premier League Kicks has been going nearly 20 years demonstrates that something must be working. It's made a huge difference to those that have gone through it. I'd imagine having a positive experience is absolutely outstanding. It's something we should be celebrating more.
"It brings that connection for the officers that are involved in the programme. It can demystify the way that policing works because young people will have a view of policing built up by how they've had interactions or what they've heard.
"If you speak to a police officer in a more relaxed environment, you then get to understand what policing is about. Policing doesn't always get it right but equally, understanding the role of the police and how we need to work better with young people is really important.
"In policing, very rarely do you have a day where you're not dealing with life-changing events. A police officer sees more in a day than someone might see in a lifetime. These sorts of things allow officers to reset.
"You need to see and experience things like this, just to say 'there's some great things happening, there are some organisations who really care.'
"Football is the way in. What matters is the sense of belonging it provides. I applaud everyone who's involved in it.
"No matter what policy or strategy we set, if you know these things are happening in the background then you know things are, over time, going to make a difference. They already have.
"While we see a lot of things happening in the streets that causes a lot of anguish, things like Premier League Kicks are the things that give you hope.
"I'm sure that's what drives everyone who's involved in the project, because they are making a difference. I think everyone should be very proud of what they have been doing over the last 20 years.
"After visiting the Premier League Kicks project with the West Ham United Foundation, the feeling I had was optimism. Sometimes we need to be reminded of the success of these things.
"With the focus I have on reducing knife crime, the role that Premier League Kicks plays in that intervention is fundamental. I can do things like change legislation with the Home Office, it's great, but why someone chooses to pick a knife up and use it, is really what's got to be changed and this is the sort of thing that will do that.
"The legislations are all add-ons that we do to try to cope with the problem but what the Premier League is doing and all the volunteers are doing is what will ultimately make the difference."