Shrewsbury Town's Omar Beckles ready to make a difference with Hub365 Foundation

The 26-year-old defender, born in London, has launched the Hub365 Foundation in memory of his late father and music star Linton Charles Beckles, who died in 2015.

The foundation’s target is to make a difference to the prospects of youngsters in Shropshire, and then all over. Beckles, a devout Christian, feels it is his calling to make a difference and continue the work of his father.

The impressive defender teamed up with Shrewsbury company 7Video Ltd and his Town team-mates in releasing an advert for Hub365, set to be released this week.

“We’ve done a mental health project just to raise the awareness and to raise our profile at the same time while supporting a good cause,” said Beckles, who has worked closely with Town’s charity partner Shrewsbury Town In The Community.

“It’s all about working in the community. As you’ll see from the advert, it’s all about representing Shropshire and Shrewsbury. The lads have been superb. We’ve had a great season and it’s good to see that we’ve come together to support this local area.

“Recently I saw in the Shropshire Star that mothers were protesting in Shrewsbury that there’s not much support for their kids with mental health. They’re doing the little they can, we’re hoping with what we’re doing can bring about more impact.

“We’ve been given a platform as footballers where people look up to us. We’ve got to use our platform for a greater good.”

Beckles, who used to coach a children’s football team in London, wants to one day help deprived youngsters back in the capital, specifically in areas close to where he was raised.

“It all triggered from my dad passing away and the foundation is in remembrance of my dad,” he said

“When I attended his funeral there was a story of someone my dad loaned £1,000 equipment too in a very deprived area.

“For a kid, a teenager at the time, who could’ve ended up in gangs or whatever, he was excellent for that kid. He gave that kid excellence.

“Because of that excellence he was given, he became a musician.

“That’s what we want. We want to pave those opportunities. I easily could’ve ended up in gang violence I could’ve ended up being dead or in prison.

“But football paved the way. People in my community helped me into the position I’m in.”

The humble defender, who joined from Accrington last summer, has made 43 appearances – many out of position at left-back – in a mightily impressive first Town season. He was named in the League One team of the season.

But he has been equally impressive off the pitch in his foundation work.

He added: “On a long-term aspect, in a nutshell we want to bring about cohesion and opportunities for the younger generation – that’s what it’s all about.

“We’ve got dreams of building community centres and multi-purpose buildings that can facilitate that.

“On the short-term it’s on issues of impact. How can we impact certain issues like mental health? How can we bring people together? And how can we help the younger generation to then be in a better position to have a better future?”