Crystal Palace In Charity Programme
Street League, the football charity, has announced a partnership with Crystal Palace FC’s Foundation aimed at helping tackle youth unemployment in south London.
According to statistics released Wednesday, the number of 18-24-year-olds out of work across the UK rose 48,000 to 993,000 between November and January, and Palace are determined to use their profile in the community to help address the issue locally and raise awareness.
Street League is a national charity with six Academies in London, including Croydon. Their eight-week programme helps disadvantaged 16 to 25-year-olds develop employability skills such as teamwork and communication, with CV-writing and mock interview sessions. Participants also play football and achieve coaching qualifications.
Currently for every four graduates from the Street League Academy, two get jobs and one moves into training. Through the partnership, the charity will now work closely with the club to cross-refer young people in need of help, put on employability courses and events together, and provide employment opportunities. Street League already stage their Academy graduation events at Selhurst Park.
Donald Forde, head of the Palace Foundation, said: ‘We have been working closely with Street League for some months now and we believe that by cementing this relationship and sharing resources, we can help increase support and pathways into work for the most disadvantaged young people in the Croydon area. Developing structured programmes to get young people into employment is going to be a big focus for us moving forward.’
Matt Stevenson-Dodd, chief executive of Street League, said: ‘Football clubs like Crystal Palace have a massive influence in their communities, while at Street League we have a track record of helping the most disadvantaged young people into work which is second to none. It is only by combining our strengths, and working with other local partners who are committed to helping young people in to work, that we will really start to take the battle against youth unemployment to the next level.’
To mark the start of the partnership, a five-a-side tournament will be held in late May at a venue to be announced. Teams of former Street League Academy participants from across London and from the Palace Foundation will play.
