KickOff@3 The Real Score How having a kick around can change communities for the better. Interviewee: Michael Wallace By donnie rust
sport and their desire to improve communities being very much aligned, KickOff@3 was an idea that fit perfectly. “I grew up in an era of challenges as a Windrush baby of Jamaican immigrants to Britain,” Michael explains, “I lived in Lambeth Borough and experienced first-hand the conflicts of inequality and how communities can be defined by their postcodes.” A community project aimed at not only providing opportunities through sport for young people around the UK, but also creating bridges between communities and the authorities that protect them, KickOff@3 has been an invaluable tool of creating change since its start in 2017. Founded by Michael Wallace and Ashley Levien, both likeminded sports enthusiasts with a passion for football, the main goal was to be a cause for change. Coming from similar backgrounds, they wanted to ensure that young people from every community were able to have the opportunities that they did not. THE MISSION Strong advocates for equality, the pair of them have dedicated themselves to this mission not only within the initiative but outside of it as well. Michael is a community engagement officer for the police and Ashley is a London bus driver who is and has very involved in many worthwhile community focussed projects. “Sport has a unique ability to bring communities together,” Michael says, “KickOff@3 has in the last couple of years broken down barriers, created friendships and opened doors, irrespective of race, gender or postcode.” Michael and Ashley have been friends for coming on eight years now and with their passion for their
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Speaking with Michael, who has been with the police for twelve years now, it’s clear that he is a man with his feet firmly on the ground. Jovial and very likeable he joined the police in his mid-thirties and says that he was equipped with a range of tools that he could apply in his role. “I was able to make use of life skills and community knowledge to build bridges in various communities,” he says, “Creating real change and our initiatives have become a part of this.” MILESTONES A major part of the initiative is to build trust and relationships between the police and the community. With this in mind it is a source of pride for Michael and Ashley that they have young people contact them who want to be involved in the initiative and do their part. “It proves that we are making a difference,” he says. Michael has seen how the smallest thing can have the biggest impact on a young person’s life. How a supportive comment on someone’s performance or idea can create an upward spiral of positive thinking that can have huge results later on in life. And, KickOff@3 certainly does provide big opportunities, as demonstrated when one of the players involved in the charity tournaments was spotted and signed for a professional contract in Wimbledon.
