The Golden Goal: Kick4Life receives 2025 Laureus Sport for Good Award
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Kick4Life has been honoured with the Laureus Sport for Good Award 2025 by the Laureus World Sports Academy in recognition of its role in changing the lives of young people in Lesotho, Southern Africa. The football-based charity received its Statuette at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid, a ceremony attended by athletes and sporting legends from across the globe.
Since its foundation in 2005, Kick4Life has helped more than 250,000 children and young people in Lesotho through a network of high-impact community programmes focussed on education and sustainable livelihoods for young people.
Lesotho has the second-highest prevalence of HIV in the world (23.2%), drastically damaging families and communities whilst leaving over 160,000 children orphaned. Through its football programmes, Kick4Life offers healthcare education and counselling, alongside voluntary testing for over 25,000 young people. Its community work has empowered women to uphold their rights against Gender Based Violence, given young people entrepreneurial skills to combat youth unemployment, and developed character and life skills through sport. It has also aided young Lesotho-based footballers in seeking prestigious football scholarships from across the world, through the Kick4Life academy.
Lesotho has the second-highest prevalence of HIV in the world (23.2%), drastically damaging families and communities whilst leaving over 160,000 children orphaned. Through its football programmes, Kick4Life offers healthcare education and counselling, alongside voluntary testing for over 25,000 young people. Its community work has empowered women to uphold their rights against Gender Based Violence, given young people entrepreneurial skills to combat youth unemployment, and developed character and life skills through sport. It has also aided young Lesotho-based footballers in seeking prestigious football scholarships from across the world, through the Kick4Life academy.
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In 2021, Kick4Life became the first top-flight team in the world to give its men’s and women’s sides equal budgets, and last year announced a twinning partnership with Wrexham AFC in Wales. Inspired by the twinning project between Lesotho and Wales that began in 1984, this partnership aims to reach 3000 vulnerable young people across the two communities in the next three years and will include coaching exchanges and the delivery of a new ‘Football for Good’ curriculum.
Based in Lesotho’s capital city, Maseru, Kick4Life was founded in 2005 by British brothers Pete and Steve Fleming. The programme is supported under the umbrella of Laureus Sport for Good’s SESLA Initiative (Sport for Education and Sustainable Lives in Africa). SESLA is an innovative collaboration to develop learning and employment opportunities and resilience for young people across the continent – SESLA is a partnership between Laureus Sport for Good, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
Based in Lesotho’s capital city, Maseru, Kick4Life was founded in 2005 by British brothers Pete and Steve Fleming. The programme is supported under the umbrella of Laureus Sport for Good’s SESLA Initiative (Sport for Education and Sustainable Lives in Africa). SESLA is an innovative collaboration to develop learning and employment opportunities and resilience for young people across the continent – SESLA is a partnership between Laureus Sport for Good, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
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Steve Fleming MBE, co-founder and chief executive of Kick4Life, said: “We are extremely honoured to receive the 2025 Laureus Sport for Good Award on the 25th anniversary of the Awards. Laureus’ mission – to use sport to change the world – matches our own vision to give young people in Lesotho hope and a future. Our work would not be possible without the commitment of all our coaches, staff and volunteers. I am delighted to receive this Award on behalf of all of our Kick4Life team, and proud to be sharing a platform with some of the greatest athletes in the world.”
Laureus Sport for Good celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Today, it is a global leader in the sport for international development sector, supporting and connecting over 300 sports-based programmes in more than 40 countries. It empowers change-makers within those communities with the expertise and best practice developed over 25 years, using the unique power of sport to bring hope, resilience and systematic change.
Every year, one organisation is selected by a panel of 69 Laureus World Sports Academy members to receive the Laureus Sport for Good Award. Past recipients have worked across all sporting disciplines, but all have been united by the same desire: transforming the lives of children and young people through sport and physical activity.
Laureus Sport for Good celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Today, it is a global leader in the sport for international development sector, supporting and connecting over 300 sports-based programmes in more than 40 countries. It empowers change-makers within those communities with the expertise and best practice developed over 25 years, using the unique power of sport to bring hope, resilience and systematic change.
Every year, one organisation is selected by a panel of 69 Laureus World Sports Academy members to receive the Laureus Sport for Good Award. Past recipients have worked across all sporting disciplines, but all have been united by the same desire: transforming the lives of children and young people through sport and physical activity.
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Laureus World Sports Academy Chairman Sean Fitzpatrick said: “In an exceptionally strong shortlist, each programme nominated for the Laureus Sport for Good Award is a fantastic representation of the Laureus mission. From New York to London; Italy, France and right here in Spain, each programme uses the power of sport to bring real, lasting change to their communities.
“And I am delighted that Kick4Life is our winner this year. Their dedication to improving quality of life, healthcare and education in Lesotho is truly inspiring. Kick4Life has found a way to use sport to anchor their approach to issues as diverse as climate change, gender inequality and the impact on their communities of HIV-AIDS.
“2025 marks the 25th anniversary of Laureus Sport for Good and gives us a moment to reflect on all that has been achieved in the last quarter of a century. The lives of over 7 million children and young people across the world have been impacted by programmes such as our shortlisted programmes. Their tireless commitment to the Laureus mission is inspirational and as the Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, I am proud to be able to celebrate and thank them all.”
The five other programmes nominated for the exceptional work they have done within their own communities were: Figure Skating Harlem, empowering young girls in the USA through figure skating; Kind Surf, tackling social exclusion and supporting young people in Spain with intellectual and functional diversity through surf therapy; Liberi Nantes, supporting refugees and asylum seekers in Italy through football; Paris Basket 18, developing women’s sport, social integration and gender equality; and Street League, a multi-sport UK charity creating employment and training opportunities for young people aged 14-30.
This is the 25th anniversary of the ‘athletes’ awards’, the most prestigious honours event on the sporting calendar. Kick4Life will be awarded their Laureus Sport for Good Award Statuette ahead of the show, held for the second consecutive year in Madrid.
Sporting stars will gather for a prestigious gala ceremony, where the world’s greatest athletes will compete in categories including Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, Sportswoman of the Year, Breakthrough of the Year, Team of the Year, Comeback of the Year, Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability and Action Sportsperson of the Year. 69 former champions – and members of the Laureus World Sports Academy – form the ultimate sporting jury, tasked with selecting a winner from each category.
“And I am delighted that Kick4Life is our winner this year. Their dedication to improving quality of life, healthcare and education in Lesotho is truly inspiring. Kick4Life has found a way to use sport to anchor their approach to issues as diverse as climate change, gender inequality and the impact on their communities of HIV-AIDS.
“2025 marks the 25th anniversary of Laureus Sport for Good and gives us a moment to reflect on all that has been achieved in the last quarter of a century. The lives of over 7 million children and young people across the world have been impacted by programmes such as our shortlisted programmes. Their tireless commitment to the Laureus mission is inspirational and as the Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, I am proud to be able to celebrate and thank them all.”
The five other programmes nominated for the exceptional work they have done within their own communities were: Figure Skating Harlem, empowering young girls in the USA through figure skating; Kind Surf, tackling social exclusion and supporting young people in Spain with intellectual and functional diversity through surf therapy; Liberi Nantes, supporting refugees and asylum seekers in Italy through football; Paris Basket 18, developing women’s sport, social integration and gender equality; and Street League, a multi-sport UK charity creating employment and training opportunities for young people aged 14-30.
This is the 25th anniversary of the ‘athletes’ awards’, the most prestigious honours event on the sporting calendar. Kick4Life will be awarded their Laureus Sport for Good Award Statuette ahead of the show, held for the second consecutive year in Madrid.
Sporting stars will gather for a prestigious gala ceremony, where the world’s greatest athletes will compete in categories including Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, Sportswoman of the Year, Breakthrough of the Year, Team of the Year, Comeback of the Year, Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability and Action Sportsperson of the Year. 69 former champions – and members of the Laureus World Sports Academy – form the ultimate sporting jury, tasked with selecting a winner from each category.
