A-Star is a cool brand set up to influence the lives of young people to open up pathways into employment through sport and other creative activities on a national scale.

How it began
A-Star is the brainchild of Fitz Hall, Andy Johnson, Ken Bonsu and Ronnie Wilson, and was set up with the aim of encouraging young people to express themselves in a positive manner and to make it possible to be around role models who do not glamorize crime, guns or drugs. With the death rate among teenagers increasing Fitz and Ken wanted to do something.

As an example, based on one survey, a worst case projection indicates that 60,000 young people (predominantly male) may be stabbed and injured in the UK each year, whilst a rather more conservative estimate could be 22,000. The discrepancy in the two figures should not really be surprising as the figures were derived from the questioning of around 600 under 25 year olds, who were asked whether they had been knifed or stabbed, and then extrapolated to provide a "National Statistic" (Governments Offending, Crime and Justice Survey - OCJS).

Whatever the actual numbers, it is clear that the persons most likely to be at risk from knife violence are; young, black or Asian males, living in high crime inner city areas, ...but as is all too evident from the events of the last year, young or old, ordinary citizens, solicitors, police officers, etc., no one is exempt!

Source: http://www.insight-security.com/facts-knife-crime-stats.htm

So the name A-Star was chosen (A-Star=every child is a star) which fits in with the government initiative “Every child matters”

With those core beliefs in mind and heart. The guys set up a unique company that hopes to offer real opportunities for young people with a wide ranging choice of activities to participate in and hopefully gain employment in a chosen field.

Is there a need for this

The need for a company such as A-Star is of vital importance.

A-Star offers a chance for individuals to shine and showcase their hidden talents through the unique football tournaments A-Star have devised.
Through these games grassroots foundations will be laid that will have a long lasting effect on the participants; our aim is that young people will come away from the tournaments and activities with a sense of dignity and achievement to ultimately become role models in their own community, which falls directly inline with the independent Reach report which was commissioned by the Department for Communities and Local Government which stated that it will call for the creation of a National Role Model programme to give the youngsters figures from their own community to look up to.

Aims:-The Aims of A-Star are as follows

The participants should gain a new respect for the following key issues:
     • Creating role models for their own community
     • Understanding group/team identity
     • The intense effort involved being in a team/group
     • The role of different skills and interests and how important they are
     • The challenge of overcoming preconceptions about what they want from an experience of this kind
     • The experience of working in new ways, and with new people
     • The excitement of the creative work involved
     • The thrill of public performance
     • Responsibility
     • Job creation

Core principles

A-Star members are fiercely committed to working with young people and making a difference in their lives.

              

Co founder Fitz Hall believes “This is a great chance for professional footballers to truly give something back”

              

England Under-21 left-back Leighton Baines quote ”Kids can come out from their local neighborhood and win the A-star contract.

It has been said many times before but this is not pretentious rhetoric. The difference here is that the footballers have not been forced in anyway to contribute their time to be a part of this.

This project comes from the heart of the footballers themselves.

The players are featured in a promotional DVD that gives the viewer a glimpse of AStar. Emile Heskey, Micah Richards, Leighton Baines, and A-Star Co-Founder Fitz Hall to name but a few are fiercely committed to this cause.

The distinguishing character or sentiment of A-Star is to influence young people to be the best they can be and to realize that they themselves are stars.
Whether that star is a community leader, spokesperson, manager, footballer, singer/musician whatever sphere or walk of life the young person may come from the mantra of A-Star is that we believe that every child is a star.

A-Star is a global project put together by a group of privileged Individuals who believe they can make a difference please join us on the journey.

All the best
Kenneth Bonsu,