HS2 Ltd has partnered with Queens Park Rangers football club to give its youth team squad a unique insight into life on a construction site with a visit to the site of HS2’s Old Oak Common superhub station.
Twenty-two youngsters, who have all been awarded a scholarship with the West London football club, were invited to see how the new HS2 station, just two miles from Loftus Road, is beginning to take shape. A workforce of almost 30,000 are currently helping to build HS2 and the site tour gave the youngsters a chance to learn more about the careers and future development opportunities available to them.
The tour was organised by HS2’s construction partner, Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA (BBVS), in partnership with Emmanuel Afolabi, founder of The Fest Hub, which bridges the gap between sport and education to support young people aiming to break into professional football.
Emmanuel, who is now a civil engineer, established the community interest company after his own dream of becoming a professional footballer stalled. The former Charlton Athletic Academy player, who trained alongside Premier League stars Joe Gomez of Liverpool FC and Ezri Konsa of Aston Villa FC, witnessed first-hand the devastating mental effects of being released by a professional club.
Emmanuel said:
“It’s vital we do more to inspire these young people. The harsh reality is they won’t all make it as pro-footballers and we need to prepare and support them for that moment. HS2 is a once-in-a-lifetime project, and today is about opening these young players’ eyes to the amazing career opportunities on their doorstep.
“HS2 invests in young people from the local area through its apprenticeship and graduate programmes, so this is a partnership we really wanted to strike.”
