Safe-Hub Philadelphia and love.fútbol Team-Up to Launch Indoor Soccer Facility in Kensington
Philadelphia, PA
Safe-Hub Philadelphia, in partnership with the CTC Ten Foundation and with support from love.fútbol and the Pincus Family Foundation, is thrilled to announce the launch of a new community-driven indoor soccer facility in Kensington on Thursday, March 27, 2025.
This state-of-the-art indoor turf facility is a key component of the larger Safe-Hub Community Campus, a multi-block initiative designed to create youth-centered spaces in Kensington.
The facility also marks a significant milestone for love.fútbol’s Philly Plays initiative, becoming its sixth community-driven safe play space. Through dedicated Safe Play Corridors™, Philly Plays connects neighborhoods and expands access to safe play opportunities. The campus will connect several love.fútbol Philly Plays sites—mini pitches at various schools and parks nearby—to a central space for young people to play, connect, and access resources. With this addition, the initiative moves closer to its goal of 16 sites, ensuring young people have reliable, community-driven spaces to play, connect, and grow.
Safe-Hub provides a physically and emotionally safe space for young people to access opportunities and support through soccer-based community development programs focusing on personal development, health, education, and employment.
The Community Campus will comprise the indoor turf facility, ‘community center’ space, and multiple public parks geared toward allowing young people to play, learn, and grow in the neighborhood.
This past weekend, the 'Community Build Day' at Safe-Hub brought over 150 local volunteers together to contribute to construction and beautification efforts in preparation for the facility inauguration. The Community Build Day is a core element of love.fútbol’s process to ensure community members can participate in various elements of the site creation. The event, filled with music, dancing, art, and good food, celebrated community strength and solidarity. It ensured that the new indoor field kicked off as more than just a place to play—it will be a lasting platform for connection, growth, and development.
With a shared international history and a commitment to safe play, both organizations see this project as a pivotal step toward their city-wide collaborative model—envisioning a connected network of safe play spaces. Designed as a blueprint for global adoption, this Philadelphia model leverages their expertise and proven success in community-driven initiatives to inspire and replicate similar efforts worldwide.
Makayla, 14 years old, Safe-Hub participant
“This space means a lot to me and the community because we now have a safe, fun, and clean environment to play in and a place to make new friends. I tried to find a single word to describe this transformation, but I realized no such word exists. I hope this space inspires and helps future generations, just as [Safe-Hub] has inspired me and helped me become the person I am today.”
Drew Chafetz, love.fútbol CEO and Co-Founder, shared:
"Teaming up with Safe-Hub on this indoor field marks an important step forward in our shared mission to create safe play spaces for Philadelphia’s youth. As our sixth community-driven project in the city, this facility strengthens a vital Safe Play Corridor™ in Kensington, ensuring that every child has a place to play, learn, and connect. Safe-Hub is leading the way in Kensington and beyond, and we’re proud to be part of this effort."
Liam Connolly, Safe-Hub Executive Director, Safe-Hub -Philadelphia, said:
“We’ve built this space to be more than a safe space; it will be a center of community building, learning, and opportunity and we have invested in it to reflect the worth and value of all young people in our community. We are very excited to collaborate with love.fútbol to ensure that what happens within these walls can extend to all corners of Kensington through safe-play corridors, and we’re only just getting started!”
