First ever black player for Chelsea FC partners with Crimestoppers’ youth service Fearless

Fearless – the youth service of charity Crimestoppers – is delighted to announce Paul Canoville as its first Fearless Football Ambassador. 

Fighting hate crime including racism and supporting young people to achieve their best, are key priorities for our charity and The Paul Canoville Foundation as we join forces in a pioneering new partnership. 

It follows Chelsea FC honouring Paul’s important contribution to the club by naming part of Stamford Bridge in his honour when The Canoville Suite was officially opened earlier this year. 

To mark this partnership, The Canoville Suite hosted its first event to introduce Paul as a Fearless Football Ambassador on Monday 22 November.  

The event promoted the inspiring partnership between our two organisations. Around a dozen young people from the local borough were there to hear Paul’s powerful story and how young people can continue to keep their communities safe. The event raised the profile of Fearless and our charity’s 100% anonymous online reporting service, appealing for young people to become champions of their community.
 

The event raised the profile of Fearless and our charity’s 100% anonymous online reporting service, appealing for young people to become champions and heroes of their community. It was a feature on the main early evening TV bulletin on BBC London News as reported by Tolu Adeoye.

Paul Canoville is a former professional footballer signed up in 1981 by Chelsea at the age of 19. He was soon subjected to a tsunami of abuse by his own fans. Due to injury, his career was cut short and his life was followed by numerous hardships and obstacles, from homelessness, addiction, cancer and mental health issues. After turning his life around, Paul was determined to give something back to the community and, in particular, to young people. The Paul Canoville Foundation was established in 2015 and works with schools and youth organisations to promote wellbeing, confidence and resilience through workshops and sport in conjunction with partners. 

Fearless works in partnership with secondary schools, youth groups and other organisations across the UK, speaking directly to young people on how to report their concerns about crime, 100% anonymously. The interactive workshops, which are led in London by outreach worker Kenya Lamb, are designed to engage young people to spread the Fearless message and help them better understand the consequences of crime and criminal activity.

“This is about our youth making their communities safe again. We’re not asking you to be a snitch – but to be a hero to help stop youth crime.

“I’m calling on fellow ex pros and current players to follow my lead in supporting the Fearless project to help cut youth violence. Being aware of how harmful crime can be is also key which is why I’m so pleased to be working with Crimestoppers and Fearless to help address this issue in the wider community.”

“We’re so happy to welcome Paul Canoville to our team, to act as a Fearless Football Ambassador. His role will build on the great work of his foundation and help promote our charity’s role in giving young people a voice to speak up anonymously about their crime concerns.

“Fearless offers a unique service guaranteeing 100% anonymity to young people who pass on what they know about crime via the charity’s youth service website Fearless.org. I know that as a young person, there’s growing reluctance to report crime or give information to the police, so Fearless is here to debunk those fears and empower them to make better choices in their journey to adulthood.”

“We are delighted to support Fearless and congratulate Paul Canoville on becoming its first Football Ambassador. Keeping people safe across the borough is our number one priority which is why we recently established a £4m Gangs Unit and created a unique team of 72 Law Enforcement Officers. Wherever and whoever you are, you should not feel unsafe or afraid to report crime. That’s why this initiative is so important and why we look forward to continuing to work with Fearless and Paul in future.”

To get more information on Fearless and the resources available to young people and their peers, visit Fearless.org. If you are a young person and have any information about crime, you can fill out the simple and secure online form on the Fearless.org website. You’ll stay 100% anonymous. Always.