PM celebrates first anniversary of Street League partnership
Charity engages young people in football and education programmes to develop teamwork and leadership skills. External site: [Street League website](http://www.streetleague.co.uk/) External site: [Transcript of PM speech at the Street League reception](http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/transcript-street-league/)
The Prime Minister has hosted a reception at Downing Street to celebrate a successful year of charity partnership between the staff at 10 Downing Street and the football charity Street League.
Street League engages young people in structured football and education programmes, helping them to harness their strengths on the pitch like teamwork, leadership and motivational skills, and apply them to the world of work. During 2011 Street League have helped more than 400 young people into work or education and training - many of whom have been among the hardest to help and from some of the most troubled or disadvantaged backgrounds.
The reception was attended by Arsenal football captain Robin Van Persie, around 40 young people who have benefitted from Street League’s work and some of the employers who have taken them on over the course of the year.
Over the year Downing Street staff - including the Prime Minister himself - have been volunteering with Street League. This has included running mock job interviews and hosting Street League events such as the Summer graduation with Cesc Fabregas, the then Spanish Prime Minister Jose Zapatero and Adrian Chiles; and the session with Pele in the Downing Street garden in August.
Read a transcript of the Prime Minister’s speech at the Street League reception.