This year, “The Water Champions Project” is uniting communities across 10 cities to address local water issues. The new campaign direction leverages volunteering to deliver water education and inspire global action.
Youth-led community football projects in each city will receive seed funding and training from Manchester City and Xylem, enabling them to deliver vital education on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), through specially adapted football drills.
With support from their Xylem mentors, inspiring Young Leaders from each project will use football to highlight water challenges in their cities. They will host a volunteer event to mark World Water Day 2025, with one winning project earning a special visit from a Manchester City legend.
Celebrated annually on March 22 since 1993, World Water Day highlights the importance of water and raises awareness of the 2 billion people lacking access to safe water. This year’s network of football and water projects include Bangalore, Barranquilla, Kuala Lumpur, Manchester, Melbourne, Nairobi, New York, Shanghai, Tacloban City and Washington, DC.
Each project will submit their event proposal to an expert panel of judges from Manchester City and Xylem, who will select four finalists based on their commitment to water action, potential for large-scale impact, and creativity.
The finalists will then present their ideas live to a judging panel featuring Club Legends. The winning Water Champions Project will receive a special visit to their project, where a City legend will volunteer and lend their support.
“We are incredibly proud of our partnership with Xylem and the global network of Young Leaders created through the Water Champions project,” said Tom Pitchon, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at City Football Group. “In spotlighting the work these incredible water leaders are doing locally, we hope to inspire more young people to get involved in tackling water issues and drive positive change on a global level.’’
Helen Lewis, Xylem’s Senior Manager, Brand Partnerships, commented, “The collaborative programme with City Football Foundation plays a crucial role in water education and promotes responsible usage, which is essential for our planet’s future. I’m excited to see how this season’s Young Leaders will creatively tackle their local water challenges and inspire their community to come together to make a difference.”
Since 2021, Xylem and Manchester City’s global community programme has been empowering Young Leaders to tackle water challenges in their communities using the power of football impacting over 17,000 beneficiaries to date. The joint initiative aligns with Watermark, Xylem’s corporate social responsibility programme, which provides education and equitable access to safe water and sanitation to support healthy lives and help build resilient communities.
From improving access to safe water to promoting responsible water usage, Young Leaders around the world are stepping up to make a positive difference by educating their communities on essential water action.