I have always been a big advocate of supporting the local and wider community, I

have been in and around football for over 20 Years. I began my journey nearly 20

years ago when I joined a project call Air Football, managed by Colm Whitty. Colm

was a very good friend and mentor, who helped me turn my life around. I have a

background of substance misuse; I am over 11 years clean and sober and am

trying to carry on Colm’s legacy.

I started a football community project in canterbury in 2023, it started with a

under 12’s football team then decided to work across the board with different

age groups from under 16 all the way down to under 10. We also work with young

offenders, substance misuse and mental health, we work alongside the probation

service, NHS Kent and Medway. We are a nonprofit community project and do

not make any financial gain. The project is fully supported, and everyone is

volunteers. We put all money back into the project to continue the work building

and supporting others, we have no third-party support or funding as yet. The

reason for this event is to raise awareness and fundraise for the British Lung

foundation, and to help support the work we do in the community at Focus

United. I was diagnosed with stage 4 COPD 7 years ago, at the time I had 3 years

to live, as I had only 30% lung capacity, I received lifesaving lung surgery a

Lobectomy, I had half my left lung removed on the 1st of February just gone. I

made a miraculous recovery and really want to push on and help and support

more people in the community with my project. Please refer to my website Focusunited.co.uk