London United: QPR is first top club to offer jobs to Standard's trainee coaches

The Premier League club that plucked England star Raheem Sterling from a housing estate in Brent and gave him his break in football has become the first to pledge to employ coaches from our London United campaign.

Queens Park Rangers showed their community spirit by offering coaching jobs to two of the scheme’s trainees via their QPR in the Community Trust.

London United aims to use the power of football to change lives. It will train disadvantaged young people from the capital’s most deprived estates as football coaches and give them the chance to coach others in their communities. Two will be selected from the 20 trainees chosen to go forward to FA Level-2 from the group of 100 Londoners now undergoing their FA Level-1 training.

QPR manager Harry Redknapp said the offer provided “a fantastic incentive” to the London United trainees. He added: “QPR are a club entrenched in the local community, delivering dozens of sessions each week that create opportunities, inspire change and help young people to fulfil their potential.

“I’m delighted we’ll provide coaching opportunities within our Community Trust for two young people through the London United campaign.”

Andy Evans, chief executive of QPR in the Community Trust, said the two chosen coaches would be invited to a home match and introduced to the fans at half-time.

“We want to help disadvantaged young local people to fulfil their potential, which is what the Evening Standard is trying to do through London United, so we see this as a perfect fit,” he said.

QPR in the Community Trust presently engages 1,200 young people each year through its social inclusion programme, including hard-to-reach youngsters in pupil referral units and on nearby notorious housing estates such as Stonebridge and the White City Estate.

Mr Evans said Raheem Sterling, now 19, had first come to QPR’s attention through their social inclusion Kicks programme, which the player attended with his friends at age 10. Sterling was then talent-spotted for the elite QPR Academy, which he attended until age 14 before going on to join Liverpool.

Mr Redknapp added: “Football clubs are the glue that holds communities together and through the Evening Standard’s London United initiative I believe that QPR can substantially improve and change the lives of young people.”

The London United initiative is funded by Vitality, the healthy living rewards programme offered by insurers PruHealth and PruProtect.