27. Steve Fleming (UK & Lesotho) - How can social enterprise & radical football accelerate Sport for Development?

Inspira | Erika Mueller Chen

Erika speaks to Steve about building the sport for good organization Kick4Life, the potential of social enterprise as part of a balanced fund-raising approach, the importance of representation in the sports sector, and his book Radical Football.

Steve Fleming is co-founder of Kick4Life FC, a multi-award winning charity, social enterprise and football club based in Lesotho in Southern Africa. K4L delivers a range of Football for Good interventions for children and young people covering health, education, gender and climate action, as well as providing structured training and employment opportunities for hundreds of young people via its hospitality enterprises – No. 7 Restaurant and the Hokahanya Inn & Conference Centre. The organization’s Academy program also supports vulnerable youth with progression to scholarships at international universities, alongside developing young players for Lesotho’s national squads, with Kick4Life Women becoming national champions in 2021. Steve is author of Eleven: Stories of Development through Football, published in 2010 and shortlisted for the Peace & Sport Special Jury Prize, and Radical Football, published in 2022. Steve was named in the Beyond Sport Inspirational 50 in 2015.

Steve’s LinkedIn

Erika’s LinkTree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/erikamchen⁠

Resources:

1. Kick4Life Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
2. Kick4Life Assist
3. Social Enterprise Assist
4. Purchase your copy of Radical Football on Amazon
5. Radical Footy Twitter
6. UEFA Kick for Trade, Chance to Shine UK, Generation Amazing Qatar, Open Field Cameroon, VAP Kenya, Play It Forward UK & Zambia, Football for Future, Common Goal, Beyond Sport, Right to Dream, OSCAR Foundation India
7. Grootbos Foundation in South Africa

Episode Info:

• Episode recording date: March 23, 2023.
• See Erika’s LinkTree for episode transcript.
• “The Podcast Intro” by “Music_Unlimited” was retrieved from Pixabay. ⁠Licensor's Username⁠ and Licensee Username - erika_mueller.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the Guests of the Inspira Podcast do not necessarily represent the official policy or position of any Agency of the United States Government, or any organization public or private.