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For the second successive year Manchester City has visited Kolkata to inspire the next generation of community leaders. Returning to the city one year after Jill Scott spent a week there, City in the Community coaches have again delivered Young Leader training to support the Healthy Goals football project, as part of the Cityzens Giving initiative.
Now in its fourth year, the campaign enables young people from around the world to deliver community football projects as a sustainable force for good and in Kolkata, where the Club has a long-term commitment, the Healthy Goals project educates children about health, sanitation and how to access clean water.
Working in partnership with Etihad Airways, City teamed up with charity partner, Magic Bus India, to deliver a week-long programme of both classroom and pitch based workshops.
City in the Community coaches worked with 60 local young people to help develop leadership, life building skills and practical planning, whilst teaching them how to use football as a tool to positively impact the social issues they face.
For young leader, Pinki Yadav, the connection forged with City is vital for both the Healthy Goals project and the local community.
“The project allows us to keep up to date with the best coaching practices and allows us to learn new and creative sessions for our community,” she said.
“Having a link with Manchester City brings a real hype to our project.”
“The Young Leaders really like having a connection with the Club and the knowledge and experience the coaches bring really benefits our community.”
Pinki and her peers had the opportunity to put everything they had learned into practice at the end of the week, when they planned and delivered a football festival for more than 100 local children.
And afterwards, Tom Pitchon, City Football Group Foundation Director, spoke of how proud the Club is to be supporting a project which has made a difference to the lives of more than 14,000 young people in Kolkata.
“Manchester City’s community commitment dates back to the founding of the Club over 130 years ago,” he added.
“We are proud to be rolling out the Cityzen Giving Young Leader training in Kolkata to help upskill young people who are currently using football for social good.”
“This project is making a genuine difference in the local community and we want to equip these young leaders with the leadership, confidence and football coaching skills they need to have a genuine impact in their community.”
