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Monday, November 24, 2008

QPR Remembering Kiyan Prince (RIP) at the Charlton Game

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QPR Official Site - QPR v CHARLTON - REMEMBERING KIYAN

Queens Park Rangers Football Club announced earlier this year that it had joined forces with Sky One's Noel's HQ to help launch the Kiyan Prince Foundation.

Prince, a former QPR player, was tragically stabbed to death at the age of 15 following an altercation with another student outside the gates of the London Academy in Edgware in May 2006.

As part of the R's partnership, the Club has dedicated tomorrow's fixture against Charlton Athletic to Kiyan - who would have been celebrating his 18th birthday - and the Foundation.

Additionally, the Club has agreed to develop a long-term relationship with the Foundation as it grows, and Mark will be invited to host a minimum of six workshops over the 2008/09 season with the ever-popular Kickz programme.

The aim of the Kiyan Prince Foundation is to raise awareness of:

*The suffering and knock on effect that knife and gun crime has on the family and friends of the victim.

*The effect the crime has on the perpetrator.

*The effect our thinking has on the choices we make.

*Connection between academic achievement and success in life.

*Empower young people to value lives and believe they can achieve their dreams in their own lives.

*Empower young people to rather walk alone than join a gang.

*To reach these aims we will have projects that educate young people to build strong minds and re-educate their minds about the carrying of weapons.

*Young people need to be happy and not afraid to think as individuals. They need achievable goals and more importantly guidance on how to reach those goals.

*They need to make choices that are best suited for their future and well-being and avoid gang involvement.

*Goals will be achieved through sports classes, tutors that specialise in various interesting fields, motivational speakers and meeting with successful men and women. We will also look to broaden awareness of the many opportunities that young people in England have that may not be available to others and look at the different ways they have achieved positive goals in their lives.

*Meeting and speaking with knife and gun victims.

The foundation's ethos will be to "Never use violence, Never threaten violence in any way."

QPR's Football in the Community Manager, Andy Evans, told www.qpr.co.uk: "The enduring image associated with Kiyan is the picture of him in the QPR kit he so dearly loved.

"As a Club, we are one hundred per-cent committed to helping Mark Prince to continue with the outstanding work he has already undertaken with the capital city's youngsters.

"We will use Tuesday's fixture to celebrate the life of Kiyan, who would have been celebrating his 18th birthday, as well as to highlight the excellent work Mark is doing in the local communities."

Evans added: "As well as celebrating his life, we will be working closely with the Foundation to deliver workshops to the participants of our Kickz programme, as well as providing a support group for Mark and his team to deliver their goals."

You can find out more about the Kiyan Prince Foundation by logging on to www.kiyan.org

For further details on QPR's involvement, call Andy Evans on 020 8740 2540. QPR