At DFY we leverage the platform of our world-class athlete ambassadors to inspire and engage children both in person and online, spreading our message of empowerment and resilience.

DFY began its journey with a pilot scheme at Ark Wembley in spring 2019. After a brief pause during Covid-19, we relaunched at Ark Franklin in 2021, offering after-school sports. By 2022, we expanded to provide school holiday camps partially funded by the council, allowing over 50% of children from financially disadvantaged backgrounds to attend for free.

Late in 2022, we took another leap by adopting a youth football team, now known as DFY Academy, giving children the chance to learn and compete as a team.

By 2023, our reach extended to six schools, introducing more sports, camps, and concurrent holiday programs at different schools, offering greater access to sports coaching and nutritious meals.

In 2024, we launched our podcast, DFY: Becoming Unstoppable, sharing the insights and values of our ambassadors, such as Premiership rugby winner Freddie Burns and Olympic weightlifter Zoe Smith, to an even wider audience.

Now, we're introducing our mentorship program. This initiative pairs children in need with personal mentors who will engage with them one-on-one, weekly, even after the program ends, to ensure they have the skills to stay on track and realize their full potential.

When a pupil feels confused – we’ll be there.

When they feel angry – we’ll be there.

When they need an adult to talk to – we’ll be there.

Become Unstoppable.

www.dfy.org.uk