More than 30 inspirational young people are set for a life changing experience at CFA Manchester this week.
The City Football Academy will open its doors to youngsters from around the world, in celebration of the incredible work they do to tackle the most challenging community issues.
City Football Group and its partners have committed £1 million to Cityzens Giving projects across the world over the last two years, with a staggering 85,967 fans participating in the 2015 Christmas campaign. The second Young Leaders Summit will enable young leaders from a growing network of Cityzens Giving projects to access leading edge training in community football and share learning about how they are using the unifying power of football to impact their communities.
This year we’ll welcome returning leaders from Manchester, New York, Melbourne, Cape Town, Kuala Lumpur and Barranquilla, as well as from the latest additions to the City Football family in Kolkata, and São Paulo.
The week-long programme develops leadership, communication and community football coaching skills as well as expertise in using football to address issues such as HIV, gang crime and educational attainment.
Building on last year’s Summit, returning Young Leaders will deepen the skills they acquired while our new recruits will get introduced to the core elements of the community football leadership.
In an action packed week, participants will benefit from the leadership expertise of MCWFC players and the event will culminate with them putting their skills into practice at a football festival for local children.
Lena, 20, currently delivers the Cityzens Giving project ‘I Speak Football’ in Melbourne and runs weekly inclusive football sessions for 250 socially isolated people, aimed at building friendships and using the global language of football to foster a sense of community.
Lena is looking to build upon the vast knowledge and experience gained from her participation in last year’s inaugural Young Leaders Summit in Manchester.
“My time in Manchester was an experience that I actually always dreamt of. Especially getting to stay at a facility that I’ve always dreamed about as well. For me it was mainly about the things we were taught and the things we learned that I could actually bring back to Melbourne and put into practice in the ‘I Speak Football’ projects.
“I’m actually looking forward to it more this year. Last year it was a lot of information to absorb. This year I know what I’m doing, what questions I need to ask and what exactly I need to do to make sure I come back to Melbourne with all the knowledge.”
We’ll be keeping you updated on the young leaders’ progress throughout the week on mcfc.co.uk and you can also follow their journey on Facebook and Twitter using #CityzensGiving.
