'Peace and love' football for endangered youth

WELL-known charity football organiser, Clive Busy Campbell, made a passionate plea to the lovers and supporters of the game to play their part in assisting him to help save the lives of endangered young men.

These men hail from the inner-city communities of Allman Town, Kingston Gardens, Woodford Park, Rae Town, Franklyn Town, Tel Aviv and Rose Gardens, who are caught in a life of crime, violence and gang warfare.

Campbell has organised the Peace and Love six-a-side football, scheduled to begin in November, for youths from the respective communities, and he called on coaches, administrators, former referees and players and persons generally interested in the game to volunteer their time to help mentor these young men.

"Talent abounds in these communities and all they seek is an opportunity," Campbell said at the launch of the Bell/Ziaidie memorial at Cuddyz on Tuesday.

"Even though we have numerous schoolboy football competitions, there are many young men in the inner cities if given the opportunity may just one day make the national team," he continued.

Campbell said he is willing to escort anyone that is interested in the project to these communities and he strongly believes this gesture can go a far way in helping to inspire some of these young men and assist forging friendships and peace and love in these (gang) war torn communities, which in the long run will help stem the scourge of crime engulfing the nation.

"Fostering peaceful and loving relationships in communities in the only way we will see a reduction in crime.

These young men are crying out for help and no one has the time to listen. So I am asking those who can, to spend some time mentoring the young men from these communities," he said.