Eight participants from the Chelsea Foundation joined girls from across England and Wales for the chance of a lifetime, as they headed to Belgium this month to take part in the Under-18 girls’ Premier League Kicks Truce Tournament.
Held in the significant town of Ypres, the tournament's focus was the Christmas Day Truce of 1914 when amid the horrors of the First World War, soldiers on opposing sides reportedly laid down their weapons on 25 December to play football and exchange gifts.
Delivered by the Premier League Charitable Fund, the Premier League Kicks Truce Tournament is one of the competition elements of the Premier League’s flagship community programme, Premier League Kicks, and celebrates the League’s commitment to increasing opportunities for girls and young women to play.
During the three-day event, as well as competing on the pitch, the representatives from the Chelsea Foundation took part in educational and cultural activities, to learn about the sacrifices made by servicemen and women in the First World War. This included an evening ceremony at the Menin Gate to commemorate the fallen and an immersive experience of the trench conditions suffered by the soldiers.
Teams also visited the monument commemorating the Christmas Truce, draping scarves and laying footballs in their club colours in a mark of respect.
At the Menin Gate ceremony, following the sounding of the Last Post, Stephanie and Stella laid a wreath on behalf of the Chelsea Foundation.
Gareth Davies, social inclusion manager at the Foundation, said: ‘The Premier League Truce Tournament was a fantastic experience for all our participants and staff. We all took away invaluable life lessons from visiting such an important historical place and enjoyed making connections off the pitch with the other clubs involved. We are grateful to the Premier League for this unforgettable opportunity.’
Premier League Kicks sees 93 professional football clubs, in some of the most high-need areas in England and Wales, run free weekly football sessions and positive activities to inspire young people to reach their potential.
Chelsea Foundation began its girls’ and young women’s Premier League Kicks provision in 2012 and since then has supported nearly 5,000 young girls.