For the last five years, the Premier League has been using the appeal of football to engage with secondary school students in a personal development programme that helps them grow the skills and positive attitudes needed to succeed in life.
The programme is called Premier League Inspires and works with young people aged 11-18 who are at risk of not reaching their potential.
Through face-to-face group sessions, mentoring, workshops and social-action projects, the students are given opportunities to develop personal, social, employability and life skills that will assist them as they transition from school into the wider world.
Premier League Inspires, which is supported by the Professional Footballers' Association, is now delivered by 45 football club charities across England and Wales with more than 29,000 young people coming through the programme to date.
One of those participants is Evan, a student at the Compass School in Southampton which is a specialist alternative provision for pupils with additional social, emotional and mental health needs.
He became involved with Premier League Inspires through Southampton FC's Saints Foundation and was part of a team that conceived and delivered a social-action project on mental health. He also helped present the team's ideas at a special event at Wembley Stadium earlier this year.
"Considering where I was two years ago, I would not think that I would end up at Wembley Stadium with a school, representing Southampton," he says. "This has showed me what I can achieve."
Another student who has been part of Premier League Inspires is Zahra, who has been part of Bolton Wanderers in the Community's delivery.
She was identified as someone who may benefit from the programme as she struggled to engage in lessons and was often a disruptive influence in class.
"I didn't really care about education, I'd misbehave and have problems with my focus," she says. "They made me feel like I had a sense of belonging because I had a team, they chose me for any jobs to do. I felt more confident."
With more than 960 secondary schools and educational establishments being involved in the programme so far, the expertise and reach of Premier League Inspires will be used to support the "Youth Guarantee", a government initiative which was announced this week and aims to get young people into education or employment.
"Building on our long-term investment into communities, the Premier League will contribute to the Youth Guarantee by using the power of football to engage young people who need the greatest support," said Premier League Chief Policy and Social Impact Officer Clare Sumner.
"Our programmes delivered by football clubs across the country play a vital role in providing inspiring opportunities and pathways to success to help the next generation fulfil their potential.
"We will be working with the Government to continue this important work and help extend the reach of the Youth Guarantee initiative into communities and to those who need it most."
Since Premier League Inspires began, more than £11.1m has been invested into the programme via the Premier League Charitable Fund.
