YouTube superstar Simon Minter, better known online as Miniminter, brought football fever to excited students at Meridian High School in Croydon with a surprise visit during a coaching session.
Students hadn’t been told that Miniminter, who has more than ten million followers on YouTube, would be taking part, so his sudden appearance was a huge surprise. Miniminter’s football and sports clips on his YouTube channel get millions of views from loyal fans.
Meridian students took part in Miniminter’s penalty challenge with the chance to win tickets to the Sidemen Charity Match at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, April 18th, featuring some of the biggest internet stars from around the world.
The match at Wembley will be in aid of M7 Education, a charity set up by Simon Minter to fund events and activities for students at schools across the country.
Training sessions included dribbling, footwork skills and shooting practice
Penalty shootout. Those who beat the goal keeper (one of the coaches) then got to shoot at Simon.
Then, Simon took a penalty, and if he failed to score, students all got 2 tickets for the Sideman charity match at Wembley. Much to the delight of the players, Simon’s penalty did not go in.
GLF Schools Foundation is proud to be working in partnership with M7 Education to widen access to enriching school trips for pupils who may otherwise miss out. GLF identifies schools and student groups most in need of support, while M7 Education, which provides fully funded, curriculum‑based experiences designed to raise aspiration and attainment, takes the lead in planning and delivering the events.
In January 2025, Simon Minter and M7 Education, partnered with the GLF Schools Foundation and sneaker retailer Kick Game to provide new trainers to students at Chestnut Park Primary School in West Croydon, London.
The ongoing collaboration ensures funding is fully covered, and students benefit from memorable, high‑quality learning experiences beyond the classroom.
Jak Martin, Head of the GLF Schools Foundation, said: “Seeing Simon inspire our students first hand was incredible, his visit and generous offer created moments they’ll never forget and opened doors to an experience many of them wouldn’t otherwise have had.”.
