LFC Foundation teamed up with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) during October half-term to deliver a series of inspirational and educational workshops to local youngsters.

Ten participants from the Premier League Kicks programme – boys and girls aged 11 to 13 -  attended the three-day Merseyfire curriculum course, which covered a range of hard-hitting topics including road safety, bonfire and arson awareness and water safety.

Physical fitness and team building exercises - boxing, gladiator challenges, raft building and kayaking - were also introduced to the youngsters throughout the week, alongside positive messaging and guidance from MFRS and LFC Foundation staff.

Tony Cosgrove, LFC Foundation project lead, said: "We have been running these half-term camps alongside MFRS for a while now, and they are always a great success.

"We are able to engage with many young people through our weekly football sessions, but we also encourage the participants to attend these alternative activities and educational workshops during the holidays.

"The youngsters involved this week were selected from our Friday evening session at Kirkby Leisure Centre, which was launched in January thanks to funding from Knowsley Council.

"They have all shown excellent attendance and outstanding contributions over the last ten months, and we wanted to reward their behavior and hopefully inspire them further.

"All 10 of the participants have taken away additional key life skills and positive messages from the course and we hope they will then go on to share these with their friends and wider community.”

Kicks Football+ uses football and other group activities to engage youngsters - addressing key issues, helping to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, and encouraging personal development.

Weekly sessions run throughout Merseyside - for more information visit https://foundation.liverpoolfc.com/programmes/education/kicks-football-plus.