The Club’s Official Charity welcomed more than 50 young women to the Etihad Stadium at the City Football Academy for a speed-networking event with female senior leaders from Manchester City, City in the Community and external organisations followed by a multi-sports festival.
The event’s multi-sports festival included dodgeball, football and netball. Participants were also able to take part in a wellness session with CITC CAHMS Clinician Jane Davies.
One participant from Falinge High School said: “I’ve enjoyed the fact that today has allowed me to speak to a lot of different people about things that I wouldn’t really say and talk about at home or at school.
“Today has taught me that I have to be myself, be independent, and to not care if I am breaking norms because I am proud and happy to be a woman.”
City in the Community’s Senior Operations Manager, Lisa McKay, said: “At CITC, female empowerment is so important for us.
“We champion our work on inspiring females to aim high and achieve their goals, we offer as many opportunities as possible through education, volunteering and employment and we raise aspirations to really drive all young females to reach for the stars and open the doors to a level playing field.”
The students were all invited from schools and colleges within which City in the Community delivers the City Girls programme and its BTEC provision.
Funded by the Premier League, City Girls provides safe spaces for young women to engage in football, improve their physical and mental wellbeing, and develop leadership skills.
It is delivered in high schools by 37 clubs, across the Premier League Kicks and Premier League Inspires programmes, as well as at the City Football Academy on Monday evenings.
City in the Community, Manchester City’s charity, empowers healthier lives with city youth through football across Greater Manchester. Programmes place physical and mental health at their core, whilst also creating healthy futures and healthy communities.
To find out more, follow @citcmancity or visit www.mancity.com/CITC.
