Under-23 players support Godwin Lawson Tournament

Tottenham Hotspur Foundation today (Thursday 29 August) hosted an Under-16 football tournament at New River Sports Centre in memory of Enfield-born teenager Godwin Lawson, who was fatally stabbed on 27 March, 2010, as he tried to help friends during a street attack in Stamford Hill.

Following his death, Godwin’s mother Yvonne established the Godwin Lawson Foundation to commemorate the life of her son. For the past eight years, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation has worked in partnership with the Godwin Lawson Foundation to organise football tournaments for teenagers in memory of Godwin and to educate young people about the consequences of knife crime, gun crime and street violence.

Over 190 children representing 19 clubs from across London and the South-East took part in the five-a-side tournament which was attended by Under-23 players Maxwell Statham, Elliot Thorpe and Dilan Markanday.

As part of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation’s ongoing work to tackle youth crime in the area, the Club’s charitable body is working in partnership with the Deputy Mayor of London for Policing and Crime to train ‘Peace Ambassadors’. These young people encourage other teenagers to sign a pledge against carrying a weapon and act as positive role models within the local community.

The Foundation also delivers the ‘Tottenham Hotspur Community League,’ which runs in partnership with the Metropolitan Police and Haringey Council, and ‘KICKS’, which uses football to break down barriers between young people and the police.

Richard Allicock, Community Development Manager, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, said: “We have worked in partnership with the Godwin Lawson Foundation for a number of years to organise events such as this to educate teenagers about the dangers of street violence and inspire them to lead rich, fulfilling lives and contribute to a safer community. The tournament has been a real success and it’s been fantastic to welcome so many teams from across London to Tottenham.”

The Godwin Lawson Memorial Tournament is funded by the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, who support Tottenham Hotspur Foundation’s community development projects. The funding awarded from People’s Postcode Lottery enables the Foundation to use the unique appeal of the Club to deliver creative, innovative and engaging programmes that improve social cohesion, build self-esteem and develop positive attitudes amongst young people.