On 18^th May, a small group of us visited two of the projects in Moss Side, Manchester, that we are involved in. It was one of the best days in a long time, whilst also being incredibly humbling & inspiring. It is hard to put into words how phenomenal some of the people we met were. Giving up their time, on a daily basis, in addition to their normal jobs, to help and encourage the youth in one of the most deprived areas of the country. These were unsung heroes that make such an enormous difference to society, with really very little support, but doing their absolute best and with huge enthusiasm and smiles on their faces.

We visited the Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club & Fathers Against Violence, a football club. Both were full of complete and utter happiness, teaching children core values that are central to AIPFF. Discipline. Respect. Courage. We heard some powerful and frightening stories. One was the gangland culture of having to ‘have been stabbed’ by the age of 15 to qualify yourself to be involved in a gang. I don’t need to go into much more detail, but slowly and surely, the difference these projects are making, is huge.

Finally, we refer to them as ‘projects’, but these projects are more than that. They are clubs, communities & families. Institutions and surroundings that the young can turn up at and look forward to every day. A good gang from top to bottom; saving vulnerable people and mentoring them through sport with leadership and life skills. There are so many extraordinary people out there, doing so much.

#JoinTeamsNotGangs

Clubs Visited: