Set-up under the banner ‘Our Borough, Our Club’, Hackney Wick has been breaking down barriers since being formed by Bobby Kasanga, who came up with the idea during a prison sentence for gang crime in the London borough.

Given its unusual starting point, it’s no surprise to learn that Hackney Wick FC isn’t your average football club. Using his experience of growing up in Hackney, Bobby set about forming a club which reflected the needs and motivations of the local community, attracting players from across the borough.

The club regularly sends its players to local schools to educate kids in the local community on the dangers of gang crime, while also reaching out to the elderly members of that same community - offering free tickets and travel to the club’s matches.

In February 2016, the club launched its academy and now routinely runs eight sides across all age-groups over a weekend. A Hackney Wick Women’s FC is also now very much a part of the fabric of the club.