Help homeless 15yr old reach football dreams…

Hi everyone - I have noted down my experiences over the past couple days to give you some background on who this fundraiser is for. Please have a read and give whatever you can to help us get this kid on the path to where he wants to be!

 

Yesterday, while at work, I noticed someone on CCTV looking suspicious, rummaging through bushes as if they were hiding something. I went out to move them along, but quickly noticed that this person was quite a scared young boy. No shoes laces, trying to tuck his backpack out of sight; he told me he needed to leave his belongings somewhere while he went to play football. I asked him his age and he was only 17.

 

I brought him into my office where we had a brief chat where I learned he had travelled over from Australia as a British citizen, to pursue a career in football. He is one of three kids from a single mother household and made the decision to leave his accommodation to relieve pressure from his mum struggling to keep up with the cost of London living.

I knew something needed to be done, so I told him I would mind his belongings while he went off to train and we would talk more when he got back.

 

To keep this as brief as possible, I soon learned that he was not 17, he is only 15 with his birthday next month. For this reason, I won’t be using his name in this fundraiser.

He only has a bag of clothes to his name and some money his mum manages to send him for food, as she believes he is staying with friends. We have sorted him out with some new clothes and very kind locals have washed the bits he already has. Last night, I accompanied him to the police station and he is in safe hands now with the idea that he will be escorted up to Newcastle where some of his extended family live.

 

He is a very kind guy; passionate about football and I have no doubt with a bit of help and generosity, he can be given the best possible chance at the opportunities he can get here.

With this in mind, he will need funds to go towards his travel to football trials here in London while he’s up north. Along with this we want to raise money towards a laptop for his schooling, clothes, food and accommodation. 

I am currently working on getting him a base in London where his family can be reassured that he is safe whenever he needs to come down, getting in touch with football clubs and agents as well as looking into options for him once he turns 16. If anyone can offer a suitable place for him to stay when down please do get in touch with us - we are keen to set up a group so we can give updates on his progress to anyone who wants to help in any way.  

 

His family have been notified of all the above and while he is safe, it doesn’t change their current financial situation. As someone who grew up similarly, I want to make every effort to give him the best possible chance at pursuing his dreams, but unfortunately I can not do this alone. Every penny raised will go towards his development.

 

Ultimately, as we know, his pursuit of football may not work out, but if we can give him a decent foundation to learn and grow in a safe way, his future will be bright!

Thank you in advance - He will be forever grateful for your generosity & support!

Please reach out to us if you have anything you can suggest or recommend!