Our Keep The Dream Alive! project (KTDA!) is a proactive mental health intervention that provides professional football and educational opportunities, to support young people. Particularly those growing up in high-adversity environments.
Our unique and transformational opportunities engage young people who often struggle to access or respond to traditional forms of support.
Why KTDA! Matters
Some young people are, as the saying goes, "born in a trap." They grow up facing high levels of adversity, in their homes and in areas impacted by violence, poverty, and limited access to opportunity. For these individuals, conventional interventions often fail to address the deeper social and psychological stressors they endure.
What they truly need are:
Lifestyle shifts that offer relief from environmental stressors
Consistent and meaningful nudges to sustain hope and motivation
A clear, positive goal to orient their efforts and choices (away quick dopamine hits - substances, gang membership, doom scrolling etc)
Without access to healthier ways of living and dreaming, many young people become trapped in dependency, lacking robustness for life’s challenges and more suseptible to mental health problems.
The Invisibles
We prioritise those who are known to experience childhood adversities. However, we are open to all children, as we’ve seen that on paper some children are seen to not be experiencing adversities or low level adversities. Only for more opposite to be true.
We call these children ‘The Invisibles’. Unfortunately there isnt funding for The Invisibles however, they become visible years later. When the impact of their stressors become unbearable and become an expense to society.
This is presented in the following 3 statistics -
50% of mental health problems are established by age 14 and 75% by age 24 (Mental Health Foundation)
On average, 10 years will pass between a child/young person first becoming unwell and getting any help? (Centre for Mental Health)
There were 1,440,000 referrals to talking therapies. Of these, 1,010,000 referrals began a course of treatment, with 555,000 finishing treatment, according to figures published in the Psychological Therapies: Annual Report on the use of IAPT services, England, 2017-18 - (NHS Digital)
Our Unique Approach
KTDA! provides a structured pathway to professional and personal growth, anchored by the pursuit of football, education, and wellbeing.
Pathway to Professional Football
We give young people the rare opportunity to train and compete at a professional level:
Access to coaches, mentors, physiotherapists, and clinicians with Premier League experience
Competitive matches against professional football clubs, where players are scouted and assessed for real career opportunities
Legacy Pathways for Every Young Person
We know that not everyone will become a professional footballer. That’s why we also offer long-term, future-focused support:
Education and football development pathways
Post-16 college programmes, university access, and USA sports scholarships
Partnerships with legacy organisations that help extend opportunities beyond the pitch
Every young person who joins KTDA! leaves with more options, a stronger mindset, and a clearer vision for their future.
Impact & Outcomes
We deliver more than football training—we build futures.
Our interventions are trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and focused on empowerment over rescue.
We’re currently developing a full impact report. Please see the eBrochures below for further details on how KTDA! changes lives, along with outcome reports.