Connecting communities through the power of football
Rio Ferdinand Foundation hosts Burgess Park playoffs.
It was all kicking off at Burgess Park yesterday as over 100 young people aged 14-16 from Peckham and the wider Southwark borough teamed up for a boys and girls football tournament like no other.
The male and female combined tournament, which took place between 11-3 p.m., was part of the Rio Ferdinand Foundation’s Positive Futures programme, a lottery-funded initiative focused on supporting marginalised young people and their families across the Southwark borough during the cost-of-living crisis.
Thursday’s tournament follows the success of the summer tournament in Lambeth borough, where 100 young people aged 13-16 joined together on the football pitch to celebrate a shared love of sport. This week’s tournament brings the community together to recognise young people’s achievements on the Positive Futures programme.
Inspired by Rio’s own experiences and the issues of inequality he faced growing up in Peckham, Positive Futures aims to support and empower young people from working-class communities to tackle racism and inequality and provide them with opportunities and pathways to gain skills and accreditations, build networks and realise their potential.
As we embark upon year two of the Positive Futures Programme, the Rio Ferdinand Foundation is leveraging the weight of its partnerships with Warner Music, Kiss FM and the Jockey Club to create progression opportunities for young people in Peckham, opening a world of opportunities so that young people can realise their potential.
“It’s brilliant to see the work of the Foundation continuing to grow in South London, especially in Peckham as my home area. The Positive Futures programme has been running for a year now with support from the National Lottery, and tournaments like this that give young people a chance to meet with other teams from outside Southwark to build those relationships and create new experiences is a key part of the journey and opportunities we try to create. Big well done to the staff, clubs and young people involved!”
The Positive Futures programme is co-funded by the Rio Ferdinand Foundation and The National Lottery Community Fund (TNLCF) with support from a range of community partners, including local charity Your Story, which provides further support to families via a weekly family forum.
“This tournament has been a huge success with over 100 young people participating. Our young people from Peckham and Southwark have had an opportunity to meet with and play against their peers from other parts of London. It’s great to see male and female players enjoying themselves and playing competitive football. It’s a great way to start the next phase of our work in the area, and who knows, we may find the next Lauren James!”
For more information on the Positive Futures programme and to get involved, email edilson@rioferdinandfoundation.com