Our History

Since 2005, Kick4Life has been on an exciting journey, from a simple idea to use football to change lives, to a well-established and award-winning charity, social enterprise and football club. Check out some of our defining moments to date.

The Kick4Life timeline

2022

After a challenging few years due to the pandemic, our social enterprises make a fantastic return, with our restaurant, No.7, being named Restaurant of the Year in the Lesotho Tourism & Hospitality Awards.

2021

Our women’s team become national champions of Lesotho, a remarkable achievement in another year dominated by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic as we continue delivering adapted health and eduction programmes to vulnerable youth.

2020

The year is dominated by COVID-19 and our response to protecting the long-term sustainability of Kick4Life and our vital work with young people in Lesotho. We make global headlines by announcing that Kick4Life FC will become the first top flight club in the world to commit to gender equal budgets.

2019

While Kick4Life continues to change lives in Lesotho, we support Sport for Development organisations globally through our new training & development service Kick4Life Assist, with projects in Kenya, Hong Kong, the UK, Guinea and Brazil.

2018

Kick4Life Women’s team win the club’s first major honour, securing the Women’s Super League Cup. Two new community programmes are launched – Good Health & Wellbeing through Sport and Girls United, and a delegation of young people from Kick4Life attends the FIFA Foundation Festival at the World Cup in Russia.

2017

Senate Letsie becomes the first woman in the history of Lesotho to secure a student-athete scholarship in the USA. Along with Morapeli Lesoetsa, the pair started courses at Lewis & Clark Community College in Illinois. K4L also registers a fundraising entity in Luxembourg – K4L Europe, to support the project in Lesotho.

2016

Mako Makoanyane and Lesia Thetsane become the first K4L Academy participants to secure life-changing academic & soccer scholarships in the USA, beginning studies at State Fair Community College in Missouri.

2015

2015 marks the tenth anniversary of Kick4Life. Events are held to mark the occasion in Maseru and London, where Quinton Fortune, former Manchester United & South Africa winger, is the star guest.

2014

The organization is repositioned as Kick4Life F.C, the world’s first social enterprise football club, exclusively dedicated to social change. The men’s team is promoted to the Lesotho Premier League. No.7 restaurant & the Kick4Life Hotel & Conference Centre are opened.

2013

Kick4Life is named a Rising Star by the Stars Foundation and wins an Enterprise Award from Educating Africa. Co-founder Steve Fleming is elected to represent Kick4Life as a network board member of streetfootballworld from 2013-14.

2012

Kick4Life wins a Best Practice Award from the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, voted for by other Sport for Development projects in the region. Kick4Life also registers as a charity in the USA, with the purpose of supporting the project in Lesotho. A gala is held in New York to celebrate the launch.

2011

The opening of the Lesotho Football for Hope Centre takes place in September, attended by South Africa’s Lucas Radebe and former Lesotho captain Lehlohonolo Seema. K4L is also awarded the Community Award at the Global Sport Forum in Barcelona.

2010

Kick4Life is selected by Football for Hope as the seventh centre host as part of the 20 Centre for 2010 Campaign. As construction gets underway in Lesotho, a team of young people takes part in Festival 2010 during the World Cup in Johannesburg. Kick4Life wins the Beyond Sport Award for Health and Fabio Capello hosts the launch event for the book ELEVEN by Kick4Life cofounder Steve Fleming.

2009

Kick4Life is named Best Project for Health at the Score4Africa awards. A team of young people from Lesotho represent Kick4Life at the opening of the first Football for Hope centre in Cape Town. Kick4Life sets up its own football team.

2008

England Coach Fabio Capello visits Kick4Life and attends a Test Your Team event which he describes it as one of the most emotional moments of his life. Capello calls on the world of football to do more in the fight against HIV. The charity is also visited by Prince Harry who represents Kick4Life in a football match.

2007

With funding from the Vodafone Foundation, Kick4Life gets underway in Lesotho with a health education and testing initiative which is named as the Best Implementing Project for HIV/AIDS, by the National AIDS Commission of Lesotho. Kick4Life joins the streetfootballworld network, the first Kick4Life All Stars Tour takes place & Prince Harry visits the organization.

2006

The official launch of Kick4Life takes place at Southampton FC’s St Mary’s Stadium. Lesotho is announced as the country where Kick4Life will focus its efforts.

2005

Steve & Pete Fleming from Southampton, UK, dribble a football for 250 miles across Malawi, raising funds for an orphanage. The experience inspires them to found Kick4Life, registered as a charity later in the year.

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