All three pieces of silverware – Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League – made a surprise visit at a session being delivered by the Club’s charity, City in the Community.
Children from St Wilfrid’s primary school in Newton Heath, less than two miles from the Etihad, were enjoying the official opening event of one of City in the Community’s new Playzones.
Playzones are purpose built recreational areas, which aim to uplift the physical and mental health of young people, by providing access to free football and CITC’s youth-led sessions.
Commenting on the morning’s celebrations, Managing Director for Manchester City Operations, and CITC Trustee, Danny Wilson, said: “Manchester City was founded on community values and that ethos rings true today.
“The reveal of our three trophies this morning follows on from a number of activities we have done to support City in the Community during celebration moments this season. Highlights for me include seeing the charity feature on both our FA Cup and UEFA Champions League final shirts, as well as donating, and matching, all the proceeds from Saturday’s match screening in Manchester.
“I’ve really enjoying seeing the children get the first look at our historic silverware today and we look forward to announcing more details about further trophy tours in the coming weeks.”
The trophies were revealed at a blue ribbon opening for one of City in the Community’s two newly complete Playzones, located in an existing parks council-owned park at Newton Heath.
PlayZones offer multi-functional football equipment including various sized football pitches and goals, football tennis zones, passing squares, benches, and floodlights. They have been funded by The Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation, Sport England, and Manchester City.
City in the Community Trustee and Former Manchester City player, Nedum Onuoha, grew up close to Newton Heath. Commenting on the day, he said:
“I know first-hand how transformational these Playzones are for areas like Newton Heath.
“Spaces like this can bring down barriers which exist for many people when accessing informal, recreational football, in turn supporting health, socialisation and confidence.
“By creating free spaces for people of all abilities, we hope that local people can connect through sport, without fear of judgement or safety, all year round.”
Robert Sullivan, CEO of the Football Foundation said:
“Funding from The Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation has supported the delivery of two fantastic facilities here in Newton Heath, providing more people with a great place to play.
“We know from our experience at the Football Foundation that the benefits of football stretch far beyond the enjoyment people get from playing the game. Good quality facilities like this one here at Scotland Road can have a transformative impact on people’s physical health, mental wellbeing, academic attainment of young people, bringing people together and strengthening local communities.”
Phil Smith, Executive Director of Partnerships, Sport England, added:
“City in the Community has been doing good things for the young people of Manchester since I was in the Junior Blues in 1986! This new space in Newton Heath is an innovative, engaging environment for the local community to enjoy football and lots of other sports. For Sport England, it’s a great investment and personally, as a City fan, it’s a brilliant way to celebrate the treble!”Councillor Lee Ann Igbon, Executive member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council, added:
“‘Seeing the opportunities that this Playzone is going to offer Newton Heath is amazing.
“It creates opportunities we’ve not had before. It gives opportunities for extra people to come in and take part. It links not just with sport; it’s health, it’s fitness, it’s wellbeing. Sites like this are also a chance to grow, so we can add to the good work already being done in our community.”
Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods said:
’The opportunities that this Playzone is going to offer the Newton Heath community are amazing.
“Not only will it bring more people into the park to take part in a whole range of sports that haven’t been available before, but having these sporting opportunities is also really important for people’s health, fitness and wellbeing. Sites like this also provide a chance for further growth to take place, so that we can add to the good work already being done in our community.”
The official opening follows the launch of a new fundraising initiative, Healthy Goals, which commits to creating more community football spaces across Greater Manchester.
Funds raised will uplift the physical and mental health of local young people by creating new community football pitches in Manchester, where the charity’s youth led programmes will be delivered.
City in the Community, Manchester City’s charity, empowers healthier lives with Manchester youth through football. To find out more about its work, visit www.mancity.com/CITC.
Manchester City is matching all donations to the Healthy Goals initiative made before the fundraising window closes in September 2023*.
For more information about CITC, visit www.mancity.com/CITC.
