Young people representing Pompey in the Community joined hundreds from across England and Wales in this year’s Premier League Inspires Challenge celebration, a national event that uses football to empower 11–to-18-year-olds through life skills, mentoring, and social action.
The Challenge is one element of the Premier League Inspires programme, which supports 11–to-18-year-olds who may be at risk of not reaching their potential as they move through the education system and into early adulthood. The Premier League, through its Foundation, currently funds 54 football club charities to run Premier League Inspires sessions in secondary schools on a weekly basis.
This season, young people have been tasked with a social action project to come up with ways in which they would support young people’s mental wellbeing in their communities. Earlier this season, Pompey in the Community representatives came together to share their project ideas at the local heats, where a panel of three mental health professionals were presented with seven social action projects. The day involved each group presenting their ideas to the panel, followed by questions from the panel. Once all groups had presented, the panel discussed their choice for the winning group, and this was announced to the schools shortly after the event. The winning team developed a project to spark conversations around mental health and wellbeing by purchasing a bench using their budget, painting it green to reflect the colour of mental health awareness, and placing it in a key area of their school. The bench will stand out from the others, as the school colours are black and purple, encouraging students to notice it and ask questions about its purpose. It will also feature a plaque reading ‘The Wellbeing Bench’.
Zoe (Panelist): “this project shows us the importance of supporting our young people’s mental health, by using connection and sport to raise awareness, give support and understanding to each other, and to ensure our young people know they aren’t alone when they find themselves experiencing mental health difficulties. The energy, thoughtfulness and commitment each of the groups had put into their project idea was incredible. They showed confidence and clarity in their ideas, underpinned by statistics and education. It was an honour to listen to their presentations and hear the passion they each brought to supporting their peers.”
Lucy (Panelist): “What stood out most to me was the strength of youth voice in every presentation. The winning team were exceptional, but so too were the other teams. Their ideas were thoughtful, well-researched and driven by genuine passion to make a difference. I wanted to ensure that their hard work and potential impact did not end with the judging panel. It is incredibly encouraging to see mental health and wellbeing being discussed so openly among young people. There is a clear cultural shift happening, with stigma reducing and confidence growing. Supporting these projects feels like investing in that positive change.”
The focus on mental wellbeing aligns closely with the Premier League’s Inside Matters initiative, which highlights the League’s and clubs’ ongoing commitment to raising awareness of the topic and encouraging fans to check in on the wellbeing of others.
The Pompey in the Community Premier League Inspires Challenge team also explored the positive work Pompey in the Community is already doing to support mental well-being, including delivering wellbeing workshops in schools, providing mentoring and one to one support for young people. The organisation also supports young people through targeted interventions that help them manage emotions, build positive relationships, and improve overall mental health. These initiatives use the power of sport and football to engage young people, helping to build confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging within their communities.
Having won their local heat, Pompey in the Community participants joined hundreds of young people at the Premier League Inspires Challenge celebration event at Everton’s Hill Dickinson stadium at the end of April.
Premier League Foundation Chief Executive, Alex White, said: “The Premier League Inspires Challenge gives young people a powerful platform to discuss and take steps to improve young people’s mental well-being within their communities. This year’s theme encourages participants to champion positive mental well-being, break down stigma and create supportive environments where everyone feels able to thrive.
“By taking part in Premier League Inspires, young people can strengthen their confidence and build valuable skills – from communication and planning to teamwork and resilience – as they design meaningful social action projects that promote healthier, happier communities.”
Alongside the participant-focused activities, mental health specialists and representatives from across the sport and charity sectors came together for a round table event. The discussion focused on the role of football club charities in supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing and was delivered by the Premier League and Premier League Foundation in partnership with Comic Relief.
The three-year partnership with Comic Relief is using the power of football to put children and young people aged five-to-18 at the heart of a nationwide push for better mental health by giving them access to practical wellbeing tools, education resources and essential life skills, while tackling stigma head-on.
Pompey in the Community began its Premier League Inspires delivery in 2022 and since then has supported over 3,440 young people through 1,045 sessions in 17 local schools.
Nationally, more than 40,000 young people from across England and Wales have received more than 135,000 hours of targeted support through Premier League Inspires to date.
To find out more about Premier League Inspires, please visit: www.premierleague.com
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