Former Ipswich Town and England footballer Kieron Dyer has starred in a new advert to promote a piece of jewellery – which will be sold around the country to raise money for charity.

Ipswich Star: Chelsea Lloyd with her pendant Picture: ARCHANTChelsea Lloyd with her pendant Picture: ARCHANT (Image: Archant)

The former Blues star was at Ipswich town centre jewellers F.Hinds on Friday to film the advert following an innovative project by YMCA Trinity Group.

The charity, which encourages young people to reach their full potential, launched its 'Designed by You' project earlier this year, giving young people the chance to create a unique piece of jewellery.

MORE: Kick Off@3 football event scores a success in fight against youth violenceThe competition was won by Chantry Academy student Chelsea Lloyd, 15, whose pendant design will now be sold in F.Hinds branches around the country. All profits from sales of the pendant will go to YMCA Trinity Group to fund further initatives.

Fiona Radnor, programme manager east at YMCA Trinity Group, said: "The project was launched to empower young people to try something new and build new skills.

Ipswich Star: The 'love' pendant, designed by Chelsea Lloyd Picture: ARCHANTThe 'love' pendant, designed by Chelsea Lloyd Picture: ARCHANT (Image: Archant)

"It's all about young people being able to learn from mentors in how to develop that creativity and harness it."

Dyer, who also played for Newcastle and West Ham, said he felt it was important to get involved following recent tragedies in the community.

"They got in contact with me and after the tragedies in the community, they said it would be quite inspirational to get someone who has done quite well in the town as a role model to help these young people and give them someone to look up to," Dyer said.

"When you hear about knife crime, you think about major cities like London, never in your wildest dreams would you think it would be in a family town like Ipswich but it is there, it's been well documented.

Ipswich Star: Preparations for the advert at F.Hinds in Ipswich. Pictured left to right are YMCA worker Jackie Beckford, designer Chelsea Lloyd, jewellery consultant and YMCA volunteer Jane Bond and Andrew Hinds, F.Hinds owner Picture: ARCHANTPreparations for the advert at F.Hinds in Ipswich. Pictured left to right are YMCA worker Jackie Beckford, designer Chelsea Lloyd, jewellery consultant and YMCA volunteer Jane Bond and Andrew Hinds, F.Hinds owner Picture: ARCHANT (Image: Archant)

"Me being a father of four children and three of those children are around the age that they're always in town and around the parks, it's very alarming and very worrying as a parent, so I educate my own children and try to educate other children."

MORE: YMCA Trinity Group open pre-school at Grundisburgh Primary School in WoodbridgeJewellery consultant Jane Bond, who came up with the idea for the project and also volunteers at YMCA Trinity Group, said: "I came up with it based on my own life because I grew up in Ipswich and didn't resort to crime and I could see that if I could go on to be a jewellery designer then anybody else could do it.

"So I helped mentor Chelsea bring something to market and that's exactly what's happened.

"We really hope that more companies will engage with us on the back of this project."

Ipswich Star: YMCA youth worker Jackie Beckford with pendant designer Chelsea Lloyd Picture: ARCHANTYMCA youth worker Jackie Beckford with pendant designer Chelsea Lloyd Picture: ARCHANT (Image: Archant)

Pendant designer Chelsea, who also starred in the advert which will appear online, said she came up with the design following recent events in the town.

"With all the crime, I wanted to promote love. At first I didn't really want to get involved but a YMCA worker encouraged me and I'm glad I did."