South East London is the backdrop for a new football pitch built in partnership with rising England star Jadon Sancho. In many ways, the pitch is a return to the player's roots — Sancho was raised in the area, and hopes his story will inspire others in the the local community.
“Growing up in Kennington has made me the man I am today; I owe a lot to South London for nurturing the way I play," Sancho says. "I hope the local kids feel empowered to tell their own stories through football and follow in my footsteps — this pitch being just the ignition point."
As the home of the Lambeth Tigers, a football club for young people aged 6 to 18, the pitch will provide the local footballers of SE11 access to the best facilities possible. The organisation is also committed to removing the barriers to sport kids in South London face, and stressing the importance of being active to a generation that is less active than those previous, and often because of many competing pressures.
The Tigers will use the pitch all year to help enable football programming and provide regular opportunities to more than 300 young players in the community through coaching, workshops and training.