Wrexham University has signed a partnership agreement with Kick4Life FC – an award-winning charity and football club, who use the power of sport to help transform the lives of vulnerable children and young people living in Lesotho.
With a strong focus on collaboration to develop educational pathways for young people, as well as research opportunities relating to the social enterprise strand of Kick4Life, the university and club have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalise an ongoing working relationship, with the aim of making a difference to the young people of Lesotho.
The country is one of the poorest in the world with a HIV prevalence of 23.6 per cent and with more than 130,000 orphans. Kick4Life uses football – Lesotho’s national sport – to positively impact the lives of some of the most severely disadvantaged young people.
In recent weeks, students and lecturers from Wrexham University’s Football Coaching & the Performance Specialist degree course joined representatives from Wrexham AFC Foundation on a unforgettable trip to Lesotho.
As part of the trip, there were opportunities for the children and young people to play football and receive coaching from university students and the Wrexham AFC Foundation, and sessions on health education were delivered to a local primary and secondary school.
There was also a culture and language exchange between Wales and Lesotho, where Kick4Life FC staff learned Welsh and the Wrexham group learnt Sesotho – the language of the Basotho people.
Leah Burke, a first-year Football Coaching student who plays for Wrexham AFC Women’s Under 19s team, was part of the group who travelled out to Lesotho.
She said:
“It’s hard to put into words our time spent with the children and young people of Lesotho – it was eye-opening and phenomenal to see the incredible work that Kick4Life does and the positive impact it has on those young people. It was a real privilege to have been part of the trip and providing coaching to them.
“One of my main takeaways from the week is the remarkable power of football and how it brings people together. The smiles on the faces of the children during and after the games were just amazing. It was also brilliant to get an insight into how football can be used to develop life skills.
“I’ve always known that I want a career in football but an experience like Lesotho has definitely shown me the difference that football makes on people.”
Sara Hilton, Senior Lecturer in Football and Coaching Science, added:
“We are thrilled to announce that we have signed an MOU with Kick4Life FC, who are an incredible charity and social enterprise that work tirelessly to drive social change in their community.
“Back in September, we were delighted to welcome delegates from Kick4Life when they came over to us in Wrexham, so now to have returned that visit and seen the magnificent work they do in Lesotho, has been fantastic.
“As the world’s first football club dedicated entirely to social impact, Kick4Life FC combines sport with educational and employment opportunities to empower vulnerable communities.
“Our partnership will provide invaluable benefits, enabling collaborative research in sport for development, student placements in real-world community projects, and the exchange of expertise in sports science, coaching, and health promotion. Together, we can enhance global learning experiences while driving meaningful change through sport.”
