A FORMER gang member and a Premier League footballer have joined forces in a bid to transform the lives of young people.

Blackburn Rovers star David Dunn and his friend and business partner John Magee are to launch STREETS.

It stands for Sports To Radically Encourage Everyone To Succeed and aim to help children through sports.

The scheme is still in its early stages and more details are expected to be released in the near future.

The pair unveiled the scheme last night when they presented prizes at Blackburn College’s student awards ceremony.

John, 37, said he spent most of his teenage years trying to avoid the police, as he took part in crime in the Roman Road and Highercroft areas of Blackburn, before turning his life around at college.

The motivational speaker approached the footballer to set up the scheme at Roman Road’s Energy Zone and at Blackburn College, which has donated £1,000.

David Dunn said: “We are both passionate about the area and we want to do something that will have a positive impact on the lives of young people”.

John added: “It’s a huge honour for me to be invited by the college to speak at this event, 15 years after I studied there myself.

"When I was growing up, I didn’t appreciate the value of a good education. We believe only positive things can come from sport.”