Crystal Palace's charity arm Palace for Life Foundation has launched its latest fundraising campaign, Made in South London, to raise £1 million over the next three years to help transform the lives of over 3,000 additional young people.
The campaign's launch film was written and fronted by the multi-talented creative and life-long Palace fan Ben Bailey Smith (AKA Doc Brown).
The film sees Bailey Smith walk the streets of south London, bumping into some familiar Palace first-team faces in unfamiliar roles, including Wilfried Zaha (the driver), Marc Guéhi (the lollipop man), Eberechi Eze (the barber) and manager Patrick Vieira, en route to Selhurst Park.
Despite the film's light-hearted nature, the campaign’s goal is critical. Many areas in south London are in the bottom 10% of most deprived areas in the city, which as a result forces a continuous cycle of dangers and challenges for young people.
The Foundation’s host borough Croydon had 1,817 violent crimes reported last year, making it the most violent borough in London. There has been a 60% increase in knife crime in London in the last four years, and just last year, 30 teenagers across the city, five of which were in Croydon, lost their lives through violence.
The ambitious target of £1 million will help the Foundation scale projects aimed to enrich young people’s lives, through tried and tested programmes which are already being delivered in local boroughs. With these vital funds, Palace for Life Foundation will:
Palace for Life Foundation has been supporting its community for over 25 years through its flagship programmes such as Premier League Kicks, which offers free sports activities diverting young people from anti-social behaviour; its Social Mobility programme, aimed to support 16-23-year olds furthest from the job market gain relevant skills; and Breaking The Cycle, one-to-one mentoring to help young people turn their lives around.
In the last three years, the Foundation has supported over 40,000 children and young people in schools and in the community; delivered free weekly sport sessions at 30 different venues across south London; helped 500 young people get into education, training and employment; mentored 400 young people who have been excluded from school, or involved in crime or gangs; and increased its BAME representation to over 50% and female representation to over 38%.
South London is a diverse community, and it is it the charity’s belief that if young people – particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds – are provided with opportunities, they will contribute enormously to the capital's future south of the river.
As vulnerable young people climb out of the pandemic, growing up in London continues to be tougher than ever, so Palace for Life Foundation is calling on the local public to donate what they can.
For more information and details on how to donate to the Palace for Life Foundation, please click here.