As part of the Premier League Kicks programme the Leeds United Foundation deliver a one-to-one mentoring programme for young students in the local community that may require extra support.

Coaches from the club’s official charity work with a number of schools in the Temple Newsam Cluster, delivering individual sessions to children who are referred to the mentoring programme which is based around the five core values of Leeds United; Family, Pride, Innovation, Graft and Ambition.

The children who currently take part in the mentoring scheme may have been referred for one of many reasons, whether it is due to behaviour, attainment, attendance or just to help them build necessary social skills and confidence levels to help them improve at school.

Lola and Alfie are two of the young students currently taking part in the programme and they would usually spend time every week during school hours with the Mentoring Lead at the Foundation to complete a workbook of activities, with the main aim of engaging and inspiring the children to work hard, stay motivated and achieve their goals.

Due to the lockdown situation because of the COVID-19 crisis, the weekly sessions have been unable to take place but the club’s coaches wanted to stay in contact with the children they work with and their families in the hopes of continuing to see development and growth and ensure the students would not fall off track and undo their hard work.

Keeping in touch with the families has enabled the youngsters to keep occupied and stay in a routine whilst they are at home, giving them positive tasks outside of their schoolwork to complete and aligning them with the club, with both children huge Leeds United fans.

Over the Easter holidays they were both set an Easter Bingo challenge with 16 different tasks included and both Lola and Alfie completed all of the tasks and made sure to document and photograph their success along the way.

Natalie Thomas, the Mentoring and Healthy Holidays Lead at the Leeds United Foundation, said: "Due to the current situation and being on lockdown it has meant that our 1:1 mentoring within the local schools has had to cease. This has been a real shame as I know that the children involved really enjoy the sessions and particularly for Alfie, he had been looking forward to starting the programme for weeks.

“We felt that it was our duty therefore to continue the communications with the children and their parents, especially as it was vital during this time when there is so much upheaval for them already.

"It really has given them something else to focus on aside from schoolwork and Lola and Alfie have really excelled doing the tasks over the Easter Holidays. They both demonstrated all of the values of Leeds United, particularly graft and they should be extremely proud of what they have achieved and completed."

A massive well done to both Lola and Alfie for completing their tasks and continuing to show commitment to the programme along with all of the other children who find themselves in uncertain times but continue to persevere and make the best out of a difficult situation.