Kiera’s story | Becoming a Swansea City AFC Foundation youth ambassador through Premier League Kicks
Kiera was one of the first participants to attend Swansea City AFC Foundation’s Premier League Kicks sessions in Blaenymaes four years ago, and has since become a regular attendee and has evolved into a youth ambassador.
At the beginning of her Kicks journey, Kiera was apprehensive about joining in with the football activities but would enjoy going to the sessions on a Thursday evening to talk to the coaches.
After being recognised as someone who could benefit from one-to-one mentoring, Kiera's confidence grew and is now a positive role model to her peers as a youth ambassador for Swansea City AFC Foundation.
“At the beginning Kiera wasn’t really engaging with the football but she consistently turned up and spoke to the coaches, which was testament to the safe environment we’d created for her,” said the Foundation’s targeted interventions manager Beth Robinson.
“After some time, we recognised that Kiera could benefit from extra one-to-one support. She was referred to us through South Wales Police, who we work closely with, and we focused a lot on emotional wellbeing, building her resilience, confidence and self-esteem.
“It was important to transition Kiera into diversionary activities and positive pathways. She’s represented the Swans in fixture events and we’ve utilised the local boxing club to encourage Kiera to participate in more community sessions.
“Kiera became a youth ambassador following the positive engagement she had with the Foundation, and the commitment she showed, not just to Premier League Kicks but also the one-to-one mentoring.
“For us a youth ambassador is a really important role in terms of the Foundation creating positive role models.
“I think we’ve seen a massive difference in Kiera since she first joined the programme. She’s really gone on a journey within the Foundation and I think it’ll continue for a really long time.
“Kiera has definitely developed her confidence, self-esteem, we’ve seen a real difference in her positive attitudes towards the community, participating more in social action projects and now giving back to her community through the youth ambassador role.”
The Foundation work closely with South Wales Police to improve the support for young people in Blaenymaes through the Premier League Kicks programme.
“What I get to see is the benefit of what the Foundation and Premier League Kicks does, which is developing young people into more well-rounded individuals who understand it is so much easier to be productive and helpful than it is being part of the problem,” said Police Community Support Officer, Stephen Evans.
“Seeing somebody come from being quiet in the background to how prominent Kiera is now, trying to be the good example to others around her, she epitomises what Kicks is about.
"It focuses on behaviour, being responsible and productive for your community and she's really taken on that role."