Danes Hill School were honoured to host a special event for The Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation. The charity partnered with the Josh Evans Soccer Club and Danes Hill to organise an inspiring football tournament for local academies, raising money and awareness for The Foundation.
Danes Hill School hosted a memorable day in honour of Stephen Lawrence. Stuart Lawrence, brother of Stephen Lawrence, is the co-founder of The Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation and guest coach at Josh Evans Soccer School. Stuart began proceedings with an emotive speech to parents and children. He spoke about the impact The Foundation has made on the wider community and encouraged the teams to support each other out on the pitch with a focus on resilience and determination.
The visiting teams then took to the Danes Hill football pitches for an exhilarating day of football, teamwork and camaraderie. The tournament included a mix of professional Academy and Elite Grassroot teams, including AFC Wimbledon, Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Doncaster, Fulham, Luton, Millwall, Reading, Southampton, Swansea & West Ham.
The Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation was established in honour of Stephen Lawrence who was killed in an unprovoked racist attack in 1993. The charity was founded amid unprecedented growing global awareness of racial inequality and exists to inspire a more equal, inclusive society, and to foster opportunities for marginalised young people in the UK. The Foundation works with communities, schools, and young people to create a legacy of change, hosting a variety of inspiring events in partnership with some incredible brands. The Foundation works to inspire children to dream freely without barriers and to realise the absolute importance of education to attaining those dreams. They also support and create new connections within all types of communities and give marginalised young people access to careers in the worlds leading companies and organisations.
The Josh Evans Soccer Club run after-school activities at Danes Hill School and over the years have created an excellent relationship. The opportunity to host the tournament, donate the refreshments for the day and work alongside The Foundation and the club was important for Danes Hill School as charity remains very much a major focus of the children and indeed is at the heart of the school.
Maxine Shaw, Head, commented:
Developing young people who have both a sense of understanding and compassion for others is an essential part of our mission here at Danes Hill. It was an honour to host the Stephen Lawrence Memorial Cup. It was an opportunity to inspire the academies of aspiring young footballers and bring the community together in memory of Stephen Lawrence.