Young people representing Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT) joined hundreds from across England and Wales in this year’s Premier League Inspires Challenge celebration, a national event that uses football to empower 11–to-18-year-olds through life skills, mentoring, and social action.
The Challenge is one element of the Premier League Inspires programme, which supports 11–to-18-year-olds who may be at risk of not reaching their potential as they move through the education system and into early adulthood. The Premier League, through its Foundation, currently funds 54 football club charities to run Premier League Inspires sessions in secondary schools on a weekly basis.
This season, young people have been tasked with a social action project to identify ways to support mental wellbeing in their communities. Earlier in the season, CACT representatives came together to share their project ideas at The Valley, where four schools presented to a panel of judges. The winning team, from Royal Greenwich Trust School, developed a project to create a drill music video highlighting the challenges young people can face with their mental health. Through the project, they explored how music - particularly drill, which is often misunderstood - can be used as a powerful and positive platform for expression and awareness.
The winning group wanted to challenge negative perceptions by showcasing drill in a more constructive light, using their creativity to deliver an important message around emotional wellbeing, resilience, and the importance of speaking out. By sharing their experiences and perspectives, they aimed to encourage other young people to open up, support one another and feel more confident in seeking help when needed.
CACT Co Risk and Violence Manager, Kim Dixson, who was also part of the judging panel, said: “It was great to see all the schools present their ideas to the judging panel. They all put a lot of work into it and really wanted the opportunity to go and represent us. I was blown away by the schools’ ideas and how passionate they were about it too.”
The focus on mental wellbeing aligns closely with the Premier League’s Inside Matters initiative, which highlights the League’s and clubs’ ongoing commitment to raising awareness of the topic and encouraging fans to check in on the wellbeing of others.
The CACT Premier League Inspires Challenge team also explored the positive work Charlton are already doing to support mental wellbeing, including delivering Premier League Kicks sessions and running local youth hubs, which provide safe spaces for young people to meet and take part in activities under the guidance of trusted adults.
Having won their local heat, CACT participants joined hundreds of young people at the Premier League Inspires Challenge celebration event at Everton's Hill Dickinson stadium at the end of April.
Premier League Foundation Chief Executive, Alex White, said: “The Premier League Inspires Challenge gives young people a powerful platform to discuss and take steps to improve young people’s mental well-being within their communities. This year’s theme encourages participants to champion positive mental well-being, break down stigma and create supportive environments where everyone feels able to thrive.
“By taking part in Premier League Inspires, young people can strengthen their confidence and build valuable skills - from communication and planning to teamwork and resilience - as they design meaningful social action projects that promote healthier, happier communities.”
Alongside the participant-focused activities, mental health specialists and representatives from across the sport and charity sectors came together for a round table event. The discussion focused on the role of football club charities in supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing and was delivered by the Premier League and Premier League Foundation in partnership with Comic Relief.
The three-year partnership with Comic Relief is using the power of football to put children and young people aged five-to-18 at the heart of a nationwide push for better mental health by giving them access to practical wellbeing tools, education resources and essential life skills, while tackling stigma head-on.
CACT began its Premier League Inspires delivery in September 2022 and have since supported 310 young people through 468 sessions delivered across nine local schools.
Nationally, more than 40,000 young people from across England and Wales have received more than 135,000 hours of targeted support through Premier League Inspires to date.
To find out more about Premier League Inspires, please visit: www.premierleague.com