As part of Knife Crime Awareness Week 2025 (19-25 May), the West Ham United Foundation is highlighting its ongoing commitment to supporting young people affected by violence across Newham and Barking & Dagenham.
Both boroughs are home to large, young, vibrant and diverse populations, but also face some of the highest levels of deprivation and youth violence in the capital. For many young people, particularly those outside of mainstream education, the barriers to positive futures are significant, but together we are working to change that.
As a trusted grassroots organisation embedded in east London, the Foundation has built strong partnerships across sectors to help deliver long-term solutions. Collaborating with local councils, NHS Trusts, GPs, the Metropolitan Police Service and other key partners, the Foundation uses a data-led, place-based approach to identify risk and provide targeted interventions.
From sport-based programmes to health and education initiatives, our strategy recognises that violence is a symptom of wider social inequality and that change requires coordinated, community-led action.
MyEnds
The Foundation leads the MyEnds consortium in Barking & Dagenham, funded by the Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit. The project focuses on four key areas: youth engagement, mentoring, community cohesion, and micro-grants to grassroots groups. Operating six days a week, it has already supported more than 500 children and young people.
As part of Knife Crime Awareness Week, the Foundation also collaborated with Barking and Dagenham Council and the local Community Safety Partnership to host a football tournament at the Bobby Moore Sports Hub in Dagenham. Year 10 students from eight schools took part in the event, which featured powerful guest speakers and celebrated participation with medals, meals and a trophy for the winning team. The event showcased how sport, conversation and community role models can come together to offer young people positive alternatives and help prevent violence before it starts.
Moore Family Foundation
Working with young people aged 11-16 who are outside of mainstream education, this targeted programme is delivered in partnership with pupil referral units and alternative provisions. Around 50 young people take part each year, with 80% achieving at least one qualification. The programme offers vital support and new opportunities to a group at high risk of disengagement and exploitation.
New Path
The New Path project is a collaboration between the West Ham United Foundation and the Met Police Service, offering activities that encourage teamwork and social skills, build confidence and self-esteem, provide positive role models and guidance, and support educational engagement and personal development. Physical activity sessions and one-to-one mentoring support young people in Alternative Provision and Pupil Referral Units across Newham and Barking & Dagenham. A collaborative approach enables a highly targeted approach to support young people most at risk.
Premier League Kicks
One of the Foundation’s most well-known initiatives, Premier League Kicks delivers free football sessions in community settings for 8-18-year-olds from all backgrounds. With more than 1,800 participants annually, the programme goes beyond the pitch, linking with youth offending teams and local police units to provide tailored support, personal development opportunities and referrals into targeted mentoring.
Health and education-based support
The Foundation also takes a public health approach to youth violence through its PCN Mentoring programme, working with GPs across five Primary Care Networks to support young people referred for concerns around wellbeing and mental health. Providing long-term one-to-one mentoring has led to 75% of participants reporting positive behavioural changes.
Within schools, we deliver targeted support through our Community Hub Schools and the Premier League Inspires programme, with over 140 students engaged in targeted interventions during the 2024/25 academic year. These sessions address issues such as anxiety, low self-esteem, school disengagement and risky behaviour outside of school.
The Training Ground
The Training Ground initiative supports 120 young people aged 18-25 who are not in education, employment or training. Using a mix of personal development, physical activity and mentoring, the programme helps participants build confidence, improve mental and physical wellbeing, and move forward with their futures:
- 65% progress into education, employment or training
- 95% report increased confidence
- 78% improve their overall health
“We are proud of the strong, trusted relationships we’ve built across our communities,” said Joseph Lyons, West Ham United Foundation CEO. “These connections allow us to uniquely reach young people and work closely with the council, schools and local services to help address violence and exploitation. Our programmes are part of a broader mission, using the power of West Ham United and football to create safe spaces, build confidence and show young people the positive opportunities and pathways available to them.”
The West Ham United Foundation is also engaging the wider justice system through work with Old Bailey Judges, including upcoming events at Beckton and roundtables in partnership with the Anna Freud Centre to inform new recommendations. As part of the London United collaboration, we will also participate in an event at City Hall later this year, alongside the Mayor of London, to showcase the work being delivered across the capital.