Did you go to Premier League Kicks?

Was it Kicks, Kickz or Tuesday night football?

You might know it by a different name but if you have attended football or multi-sport sessions delivered by professional football club charities in England or Wales, the chances are you were part of Premier League Kicks.

Launched in Season 2006/07 in partnership with the Metropolitan Police, Premier League Kicks is the Premier League's longest-running community programme.

With the aim of involving and supporting young people in regular, positive and fun activity, while helping to create stronger, safer, more inclusive communities, more than 93 Premier League, English Football League and National League clubs today deliver free Premier League Kicks sessions for 8-to-18-year-olds.

The Premier League Charitable Fund, the charitable arm of the Premier League responsible for disseminating funding to more than 100 club charities to deliver community initiatives, is now hoping to understand more about the long-term impact Premier League Kicks has on the lives of participants.

Teaming up with Leeds Beckett University, the charity has launched a research project to capture the stories of people who attended Premier League Kicks from 2006 to 2016.

Since it began, more than 520,000 young people have participated in Premier League Kicks football and multi-sport sessions and more than one million hours of sessions have been delivered.

If you have been a part of Premier League Kicks then we want to hear from you.

One former participant is Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, who attended Premier League Kicks sessions with Fulham FC Foundation.

"I have loved football and the Premier League since I was a child," he said. "I feel very privileged to play the game professionally alongside and against some of the best players in the world.

"As a youngster, I attended Premier League Kicks sessions myself, so I know how important the programme is. Football clubs and their staff deliver a huge amount of amazing work in their local areas - I've seen this myself and all clubs have a big role to play in their communities."

Swansea City's Katy Hosford is another Premier League Kicks alumni member, having come through Swansea City AFC Foundation's Premier League Kicks programme.

"When I think back to day one, I never would have thought that I would come this far," she said. "If I didn't go to those Premier League Kicks sessions, I wouldn't be the player I am today.

"They've not only developed my skills and technical ability but helped me to be a leader, play within a team and to be in that environment every week. It's definitely helped me progress as an individual."

But it's not just professional players who have benefitted from their involvement in the programme. The impact of Premier League Kicks extends to roles beyond the pitch too.

West Mercia Police Constable, Zak El Khalifi is a former Aston Villa Foundation Premier League Kicks participant.

"I would not be where I am now without Premier League Kicks," he said. "I told my former coach that it was all because he made me feel welcome on that first session. Being a police officer, basically my dream job, is all thanks to these guys."

Today, the League and clubs work with 36 police forces throughout the country to tackle issues affecting young people, with regular sessions taking place in disadvantaged areas.

As well as providing young people with access to free football and sports activities, professional football club charities also provide additional year-round support through Premier League Kicks, offering mentoring, life skills advice and access to opportunities such as volunteering and social action to help aid personal development.

Newcastle United Foundation's Premier League Kicks co-ordinator, Sarah Burn, is another Premier League Kicks alumni member.  

"I am a very emotional person when it comes to Premier League Kicks, because without it I wouldn't be where I am today," she said. "I played my first Premier League Kicks tournament in 2012 and now I lead the programme at Newcastle United Foundation.

"I try to inspire the other girls who join the programme, by explaining that this is where I came from, this is what I can do. And then I see it happening to them too and it’s mind-blowing because it shows the impact we can have."

Sarah isn't the only member of the current Premier League Kicks workforce to have secured employment through the programme. Twenty per cent of the current Premier League Kicks workforce were former Premier League Kicks participants.

Abdu Abubakar, Hull City's Premier League Kicks coach, joined the programme as a 17-year-old back in 2016. When he was just 17-years-old, he arrived in the UK as a refugee from Eritrea.

Without any friends or family to support him, Abdu was alone, and he credits Premier League Kicks with providing him with the stability and community he needed.

"If I hadn't gone to that Premier League Kicks session, if I didn't have it in my life, my mind goes really blank or dark because I can't see myself without Premier League Kicks," he said. "I would have struggled a lot.

"Premier League Kicks is my life now. The people that I know today, the people I call family, they're all people that I've met through Premier League Kicks. I can't thank the programme enough." 

Declan, Katy, Zak, Sarah and Abdu are just a few of the more than 520,000 people who have been part of Premier League Kicks since 2006.

If you were part of the programme too, the Premier League Charitable Fund and Leeds Beckett University would love to hear from you.

To complete a short survey about your time at Premier League Kicks, please click here.