Premier League Kicks is turning 20!
This month we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of a programme that for two decades has used the power of football and sport to inspire young people to reach their potential in high-need areas of England and Wales.
More than 600,000 young people have come through Premier League Kicks, which is funded by the Premier League through the Premier League Foundation and is now run by 93 clubs across the Premier League, English Football League and National League.
To mark the anniversary, we are speaking to former Premier League Kicks participants to find out what they are doing now and to discover how the programme made an impact on them.
Alysia Marcangelo, Millwall Community Trust
"Thank you Premier League Kicks for allowing me to be myself. Young people need that push from someone older to tell them, 'you be who you want to be - that is enough.' It's a massive thank you because without it, who knows? It's genuinely life changing."
As a former participant and now sessional coach, 19-year-old Alysia knows exactly how Premier League Kicks can change the course of people's lives.
Alysia had challenges at secondary school and had also left home but Premier League Kicks was there to support her. Now, she is doing the same for other young people in south London.
This is her story.
"I grew up in Peckham Rye which wasn't the safest area. Being kids, there wasn't much to do, especially activities that are free and where you know you're going to be safe and be looked after.
The Premier League. It's More Than A Game
"When you are young you want to go out and just have fun. Being in that type of environment and that type of area, there were limitations to what you could and couldn't do.
"I had a few friends who attended Premier League Kicks and I was more of the quiet friend. I wouldn't want to interact with people I didn't know. We went down to Millwall, we enjoyed the first session and since then… well it's just history.
"That first session was quite scary because I wasn't the type of person that would go out of my comfort zone. But within the first hour, I was having the time of my life.
"I kept going back because of how inviting the staff are. They have genuine care for the young people and a love for football which makes it so much easier to have a comfortable environment.
"As well as Premier League Kicks, I was also part of Millwall's alternative provision and going to school at the club two days a week. When I was at school, I was quite hyper. I had a lot of energy. I wasn't the regular sit-down child to just get on with things. They thought it would make sense for me to join the alternative provision and tunnel my energy in a positive way. It worked.
"At 17 I was kicked out of home because of a lot of things that were going on. I was really lost and when you're lost, you tend to follow what other people want to do and you're not really your own person.
"That was when I started volunteering on Premier League Kicks with Millwall Community Trust. It 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.
"The programme has changed my life. Now I'm working at Millwall and Tottenham Hotspur as a sessional coach. I'm self-employed working in local schools in the area as a football coach, taking the girls football club, hoping to spread across the area and move into different schools.
"I'm completely in control of everything I want to be doing. I'm in my final year of college doing an extended diploma in sports coaching.
"I had a mentor and he would give me little pieces of advice. They're all things that I use now to power me up and use to show me that I'm in this position for a reason.
"What the coaches gave to me; I can give back to all of these children. That's where I got my sense of belonging. I found something that I enjoy doing. I got to see all the young people smiling.
"They can see someone who's got the same background as them, they can look up to me and think, 'we're no different to her and if she can do it, so can I.' It's nice for me to have that feeling.
"Looking back over the last five years, it shows me that although things push you back, that's life. It's one day at a time, one step at a time, use the people around you to the best of your abilities to find better in yourself, talk to them, ask for advice.
"It's incredible to be a part of the Premier League Kicks story. It's an amazing programme. Me working on it now is really refreshing because I can show the children that there is a way out as long as they are willing to enjoy it, give their energy and time, they can make something of themselves.
"It feels really good knowing that this all started from me deciding to go to a football session. There's so much more to it than just playing football, it's much deeper than that. A lot of things can come out of it and you never know what until you put yourself in a position to find out.
"I am very proud of myself and the future is looking bright. I have to keep pushing and taking every opportunity. This is only the start of the journey."