The former England and Manchester United defender’s foundation is now having an impact far beyond the south London estate where he grew up

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.