Launching in the 2006/07 season in partnership with the Metropolitan Police, Premier League Kicks has supported hundreds of thousands of young people to achieve their potential and improve their wellbeing through free weekly football sessions and educational workshops.

As well as providing young people with access to free football and sports activities, Premier League Kicks offers mentoring, life skills advice and access to opportunities like volunteering to help aid their development.

Chelsea Foundation began its Premier League Kicks delivery in 2007 and since then has hosted over 11,000 Kicks sessions and engaged a total of 19,947 participants.

One person who has benefitted from their involvement is Andy Akuamoah of Henry Prince Estate, who has been named as a Premier League Kicks ‘Local Legend’ by Chelsea Foundation.

As part of the 15-year celebrations, clubs have nominated a Premier League Kicks ‘Local Legend’ – somebody who has taken part in, volunteered, or worked on the programme and has inspired others through their dedication, work ethic and own personal development. Each nominee will receive a bespoke ‘Local Legend’ football card, which has been created with support from Premier League partner Panini.

Andy Akuamoah was chosen as the Foundation’s Premier League Kicks ‘Local Legend’ having worked at Henry Prince Estate in Wandsworth for the last 10 years, delivering weekly football sessions to over 60 young people per week and building fantastic rapport with all the young people and parents. Andy’s sessions aim to develop the young people’s football skills and provide an opportunity to develop key life skills too.

Callum Salhotra, Senior Youth Inclusion Officer at Chelsea Foundation commented on Andy’s accolade ‘Andy is a worthy recipient of the Kicks Local Legend award. He is more than a coach to many of the young people he works with, who see him as a mentor. Andy works hard to make sure his participants at Henry Prince get afforded as many opportunities as possible and never misses a session!’

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: ‘We are proud of the incredible impact Kicks has had on communities up and down the country over the past 15 years. As we mark the anniversary, this is an opportunity to celebrate the local legends who have helped make Premier League Kicks what it is.

‘The success of the programme would not have been possible without the hard work and passion of club staff, coaches and volunteers working alongside young people at Kicks sessions, week in, week out.’

To date, the Premier League has invested almost £66 million in Kicks and in the year ahead an estimated 80,000 young people will take part in the programme.

Since it began, more than 440,000 young people have participated in Premier League Kicks football and multi-sport sessions held at community venues across England and Wales. The programme started with four pilot clubs and is now run across 936 venues by 90 Premier League, English Football League and National League sides – all funded by the Premier League.

You can book onto one of Chelsea Foundations Kicks classes here or visit premierleague.com for more information.