From South London to the European Stage
You might have spotted us on the front of Palace’s shirt throughout their Europa Conference League campaign, but who are we?
We’re incredibly proud to have featured on the front of Palace’s shirt throughout their Europa Conference League campaign, and last week Crystal Palace confirmed they’ll wear Palace for Life proudly in red and blue for the club’s first ever European final.
It’s a huge moment for us and a chance to shine a spotlight on our work that our team of expert coaches and mentors are delivering day in, day out.
It also gives us the opportunity to introduce Palace for Life to a whole new audience and show people what this charity is all about. So, if you’ve been wondering what ‘Palace for Life’ means, strap in.
We’re the official charity of Crystal Palace F.C., and for over 30 years we’ve been working in the local community to help transform the lives of young people in South London.
We provide opportunities, inspiration and support to give every young person who wants it, the chance to succeed in life.
We believe the power of Crystal Palace helps us connect with young people who might otherwise never engage with support services.
Through that connection, we’re able to build trust, open doors and create opportunities for young South Londoners through our key focus areas:
- Boosting employment
Helping young people gain qualifications, workplace skills and real routes into employment. - Reducing youth violence
Creating safer spaces and positive pathways through youth work, mentoring and sport. - Improving mental health
Providing trusted support, routine and connection for young people who need it most. - Increasing healthy lifestyles and participation
Delivering free, inclusive sport and physical activity all year round. - Empowering people with disabilities
Creating inclusive opportunities through sport, employability and community programmes. - Supporting schools
Working with schools to engage pupils, improve wellbeing and support learning beyond the classroom.
Why does being on the front of the shirt matter?
Throughout Palace’s European campaign, we’ve been incredibly proud to help raise awareness of our work supporting young people across South London on such a big stage.
This exposure means more people are aware of our work, and therefore able to either access or support it.
As our CEO, Mike Summers, puts it:
“We are incredibly proud to feature on the front of Palace’s shirt. This is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of the work we do with young people across south London. Our aim has always been to help transform lives and create brighter futures, and occasions like this allow us to share that message with a wider audience.”
What’s the impact?
South London is vibrant, diverse and full of potential but it also faces many challenges that shape the lives of young people growing up here. Factors like unemployment, disability, youth violence and social inequality are just some of the barriers our community continues to face. And we’re responding to those realities.
Each year, we work with over 18,000 young people within the boroughs of Croydon, Bromley, Sutton and Lambeth.
In the community last year, we delivered over 1,000 mentoring sessions to support young people with their mental health, while our employment programmes helped 57 into work, 17 into education and 79 to earn new qualifications. Our Community Engagement and Disability Sport sessions reached more than 3,000 young people and we delivered activities with over 140 local schools.
In 2025, 13 young people were offered trials with the Crystal Palace F.C. Academy. We are passionate about developing young footballing talent through a clear and dedicated player pathway. Players like Teddy are already thriving through the Palace Pathway. Read his story here.
That’s just a small snapshot of our impact and the work we deliver this side of the river. You can find out more about our work here!
How to support us
There are lots of ways to get involved: