Helping others was my mum's passion – this is my thing, but her legacy'

Rio Ferdinand's foundation is now having an impact far beyond the south London estate where he grew up

- Ed Aarons

Whenever Rio Ferdinand needs inspiration, he remembers his mother. Growing up on the Friary Estate in Peckham, south London, Janice St Fort “was always known for helping other people”. “If one of the mums on the estate was in trouble, she would come down and say: 'What's going on?'” says the former Manchester United and England defender. “She was a doer - someone that people could lean on.”

Ferdinand is proudly reflecting on the achievements of his foundation, which his mother helped to establish in 2012 and has been taken to new heights since her death seven years ago. Working with disadvantaged communities and aiming to provide opportunities and pathways to employment in a number of fields, the Rio Ferdinand Foundation is estimated to have provided support to more than 10,000 young people from the UK, Ireland and beyond.

“I've seen my mum doing it - coming in at mad times, all the hours God sends doing things for other people,” Ferdinand says. “I just see this as the natural progression in my life.”

The foundation started with a fundraiser hosted by James Corden while Ferdinand was with United. “I'd been doing a few things because just like any kid from my area or background, I wanted to give something back, but I didn't really know how. I didn't really have the resources or infrastructure to really make a proper impact over time.”

That changed when Gary Stannett was appointed as the foundation's chief executive in 2019. A qualified youth worker who had worked for Crystal Palace's foundation, he - with his team - has helped create a pathway into various industries by working closely with some of Ferdinand's commercial partners such as BT Sport, Aston Martin and Warner Music.