Bobby Kasanga founded Hackney Wick Football Club in 2015; Hackney’s first ever semi professional football club in nearly a century.

We are not your regular football club, as our ethos is based on community engagement, uniting the local diverse groups as well as battling peer pressure and tackling gang influences.

We engage 160 youths and 70 adults through our training, fitness and football matches. (16 youth teams plus sessions for children with additional needs as well as 2 adult teams). We do this by offering educational workshops, sporting opportunities, mentoring and access to work opportunities, which actively engage with those already involved in gangs, or those on-the-brink of gang life, and those who might not be aware of the threats out there (as a safeguarding tool).

We are a community club whose members and players volunteer our services for free to the Hackney community. Be it providing free football coaching or helping out at various events our members come along and support. We will offer training, employment and community projects which promote health and well-being alongside community safety.

Hackney was one of only a few areas without a professional or semi professional club, so this has captured the borough’s attention, including the local businesses and media. Hackney is a huge catchment area with the potential to generate thousands of fans for a borough led team.

In recent months we volunteered at Abney Park for their 175 year anniversary, Run Hackney Marathon, Hackney Wicked Festival, Den City, Refugee Camps in France, Hackney Wick Women’s Institute, Fairtrade Foundation, Hackney Quest, Wick Award, Hackney Museum, homeless shelters, Scope charity and created & hosted The Hackney Cup for Health which attracts 500 people annually.

We were founded in 2015 and since then we have appeared on BT Sports, BBC Radio London, BBC Radio 5 London, London Live TV, Copa90, Click on Soccer, Football Focus Magazine, Daily Mirror, Hackney Today, Hoxton Radio, Hackney Gazette, Hackney Post, Hackney Citizens, LoveEast Magazine, The Daisy Cutter, East London Lines plus many more.

The reason for all this publicity is the way we operate as a football club. The adult members of the club all volunteer two hours a month to local causes and organisations which has propelled us into the heart of the Hackney Community. Not only with the young but also other vulnerable groups like the elderly who we invite to matches.

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
I was once a semi professional footballer who played for various teams in the Ryman and Conference leagues but because of the lack of opportunities locally and the influences of gangs and personal greed, I succumbed to a life of crime and was subsequently imprisoned on 2 occasions in my late teens and early 20s.

However this experience, although at the time was upsetting and harmful turned out to be a blessing. During my incarceration on the second occasions I wrote 2 novels (published in 2014 and 2015) and also studied for a degree in criminology and social policy. It was while studying this subject that I finally understood that although crime was my choice, there were undying factors through social impacts and the surrounding influences that attributed to my behaviour. Main thing being, not enough positive male role models, lack of opportunities and closure and abolishment of youth activities or expensive and limited access. I met so many talented people in prison who inspired me and had gone through same path as mine.

Without prompting upon 2 months of my release from prison in February 2015 I started this football club which now like I’ve said previously engages up to local 230 people every week.

We would love to hear from you.

Kind regards,
BOBBY KASANGA
www.grassrootsforgood.com