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.
Marcel Stevens
Hosting parties for the likes of Chris Brown and Drake and flying across the globe playing music he loves, Marcel is living the dream as an international DJ.
But no matter where he is in the world, his roots will always be in Manchester, where he attended Premier League Kicks from the age of 14 and learnt important life skills as well as the opportunity to expand his horizons.
This is his story.
"I was from a single-parent household and my mum worked two jobs. She would leave the house early in the morning and would get home at eight at night. In between those hours it was hard to find productive things to do.
"In south Manchester where I grew up, everybody was walking a very fine line. Just the bus home could be treacherous if you got on the wrong one.
"A lot of us went to different youth clubs but when youth services got cut, there wasn't much going on. Premier League Kicks popped up nearby and we all joined up.
"It was a place where I could get guidance. It was good to meet like-minded people that wanted to do something productive and out of those relationships with staff and peers came a lot of good things for me.
"It shaped me as a person and that's when I started to develop aspirations that were born from going to Premier League Kicks.
"My mum worked in mental health, so I was aware of the importance of mental health from a young age. One of the things I would always look for is how people are acting, is there something going on? If I knew someone was gone through something, I'd be always the one trying to talk to people and ask them if they needed help.
"A lot of the music side of things were shaped by meeting other people at Premier League Kicks that also did music. If you weren't at a session, you'd be in a studio somewhere, learning how to DJ.
"Being a DJ has taken me around the world and it's allowed me to be the master of my own destiny. It's been a great journey and it has taken me down many different avenues. I'm really grateful for those opportunities.
"I didn't have a vision before Premier League Kicks but afterwards, I was able to see the wood through the trees. It's about understanding your opportunities and maximising them. It's really hard, people don't always realise you can become whoever you want to be.
The Premier League. It's More Than A Game
"It doesn't matter where you come from, it doesn't matter what kind of trauma you've been through, as long as there are people that support you and you believe in yourself, you can do whatever you want.
"I never thought as a 14-year-old at Premier League Kicks that I would be flying around the world as a DJ or that I would have my own coaching company.
"When I started to do these things, my experience with the programme gave me a sense of direction. I started to grow myself and my own ideas.
"Without Premier League Kicks, that belief wouldn't have been there as early as it was and I don't think that I would have had the confidence to ask for help. A lot of the time people suffer in silence when they have issues. They may end up drifting through life. Premier League Kicks didn't allow me to drift.
"The programme is like an invisible parent. It's a major support away from the home.
"In Premier League Kicks, you can be more open because there is no judgment. It doesn't matter who you are, your beliefs, your sexuality, none of it matters. We're all here together.
"I'm so happy seeing participants taking part because I know that they may not necessarily understand the journey that they're on, but they will do in years to come. I know they'll look back and they'll be grateful for the experience it's given them.
"Premier League Kicks has a special place in my heart. I remember how many of us went to sessions and it's heartwarming to see the difference that it made for so many people. The programme gave us the key to unlock our potential."