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

We are not you regular football club as our ethos is based on community engagement and 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 routes which would actively engage with those already involved in gangs, 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 as well as community safety.

We will work with our partners and network to identify at risk individuals and groups who would benefit from our engagement. Referrals can be made by parents, schools, police, local authorities, probation services and other organisations in a collaborative effort to save lives.