Peterborough charity The Free Kicks Foundation celebrates special '2000th kick' milestone

Since 2007, the city-based charity have been dedicated to providing disadvantaged children and children facing various difficulties or challenges in their lives the opportunity to make lasting memories and enjoy unforgettable sporting experiences.

The charity works with clubs up and down the footballing pyramid and across Great Britain to provide children with the opportunity to be a mascot at their favourite clubs.

Each individual experience is known as a ‘Kick' and therefore the charity has brought joy and happiness to well over 2,000 children over the past 19 years.

Founded by Steve Thorpe and Sam Downing, the charity has grown from delivering around five to ten 'kicks’ a season at the beginning to well over 200 now. This Sunday saw the 217th kick of the 2025/26 season take place.

It has been a groundbreaking season for the charity who have extended their connections significantly building new relationships with clubs in the Republic of Ireland (Drogheda), Scotland (Kilmarnock), National League sides such as Altrincham and Southend as well as being approached by some of the biggest clubs in the land to partner; such as Premier League sides Manchester City, Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Brentford. They have provided mascot opportunities with 88 of the current 92 sides in the Football League

The charity receives nominations for deserving children to benefit from their work as well as working directly with charity partners. The charity has close ties with the charitable trusts of many clubs in the country as well as fellow charities such as Young Lives vs Cancer, Childhood Eye Cancer Trust, Peterborough Area Down’s Syndrome Group and many more, who regularly nominate children they work with.

A special celebration of the 2,000th kick milestone was held at Sunday’s match between Posh and Burton Albion at London Road; the location of the charity’s first kick in 2007.

Ahead of kick-off, the Posh players all warmed up in shirts saying 2000th kick, a special video was played out on the big screens and the charity received a number of congratulatory messages from ex-players such as George Boyd, Jack Baldwin and Christian Burgess.

Founder Steve said: “It was a great day, the club were really good with us.

"It is a really proud moment for us especially when the think back to the small beginnings of thinking we might do five or ten a season to now doing over 200 a season.

"All we’ve ever wanted to do is put something back into football to give children who were poorly or deserving in other ways a chance to have a great day out and forget what they are going through. We never expected it would take them us all around the country.”

The charity holds a number of fundraising events each year -including its annual golf day and quiz night. On May 7, ‘A Very Posh Evening will take place at the Holiday Inn West, Thorpe Wood reunite Posh promotion winners from the 2011, 2000 and 1992 sides. All proceeds will go to the Free Kicks Foundation and the Tommy Robson Statue Fund. Tickets are available from www.theposh.com/tickets.