The Premier League Charitable Fund has launched the Premier League Kicks Alumni survey, which aims to understand the impact that the Premier League's longest-running community programme has on participants.
As part of this campaign, we are telling the story of the programme through the voices of those who have taken part.
To complete the Alumni survey, click here.
Mounted on the wall at Hull City's Tigers Trust Arena is a quote from Kayleigh Jackson detailing a key moment from her time at secondary school.
"I remember a teacher telling me I would never achieve anything in my life."
Kayleigh has certainly proved the teacher wrong.
After joining the Tigers Trust as a seven-year-old, Kayleigh has progressed from participant and volunteer to coach, social inclusion manager, Premier League Kicks co-ordinator all the way to her current job of Head of Community, Engagement & Safeguarding, where she had used her experiences to support, engage and inspire thousands of young people.
This is her story.
"I grew up on a council estate in Hull and I was a little bit of a so and so when I was younger. I wasn't the best behaved child at school, I would be outside the head teacher's office and I was constantly having phone calls home saying that I had been up to x, y and z.
"I started at the Tigers Trust in soccer camps before hearing about Premier League Kicks as a teenager. I did work experience, I volunteered and in 2011, I was offered the chance to get my coaching qualifications. At that point, I wanted to be a football coach.
"From there to where I am now has been a bit of a journey. My history and understanding of some of the challenges young people face is the reason why I'm so passionate about giving back to the community and giving those young people the chance to progress.
"My teacher's comment has always stuck with me. Quite a few of our participants have picked up on it because I imagine quite a lot of them have heard the same thing.
"You might have challenges but what are the reasons, why are you acting the way that you are? It's not just because you're a naughty kid. There's obviously things going on at home and having that somebody who can dig into that is so important.
"There are many deprived communities within Hull. We have participants living in households where putting food on the table is a struggle. When that's the case, there is a risk of young people taking the wrong path.
"For me, there's not a price that you can put on being a Premier League Kicks coach. They are ultimately a youth worker that's able to facilitate a session where young people feel safe, where their voices are heard, they're able to have a conversation and they don't feel judged.
"We had one lad that used to come to our session every week. He was never dressed for football but he simply stood with me for two hours and just spoke about stuff that was going on at home. That couple of hours was massively important for him.
"Coming to a Premier League Kicks session might be the only time that a young person sees a positive role model in their week. It's quite remarkable and without the programme, communities would look very different.
"Premier League Kicks has grown massively. We are now delivering over 30 sessions over 10 different sites across the city. Nearly 29 per cent of our Premier League Kicks workforce are former participants. We're really committed to providing that pathway.
"For me, having the opportunity to volunteer and interact on the programme has been massive. My journey is just one of thousands that I could look at across the network. I wouldn't be able to put into words what that programme has done for me.
"I love watching a Premier League Kicks session taking place. I feel really proud.
"I'm passionate about making change in our local community. It's taken me years and years to say it but I suppose I am that role model. When I was younger I never would have said that I would be a role model to anyone. I'd love now to be able to present in a room full of those teachers that doubted me growing up.
"It's so important to be relatable and tell participants that journey. The young people might see us as coaches and say, 'if they can do that, that's something I can do.'
"It's really difficult to describe what the Tigers Trust means to me. It's been such a massive part of my life. If we weren't here, I dread to think what would happen."
What is Premier League Kicks?
Funded by the Premier League through the Premier League Charitable Fund, Premier League Kicks uses the power of football and sport to inspire young people to reach their potential, in some of the most high-need areas in England and Wales.
More than half a million people have benefited to date.
