Students from three sixth forms and colleges across Greater Manchester joined together for the special event, marking the completion of their two-year journey.
All told, 53 students from across Connell Co-Op College, Oldham College and Ashton Sixth Form College enjoyed an evening of food and refreshments, followed by a presentation recognising their academic achievements.
Post-16 Education Manager, Lois Daniels, commented on the event, saying: “This celebration provides us with an opportunity to come together and recognise our BTEC students who are graduating from our three partner colleges, celebrating their successes and achievements.
“The students deserve this celebration after their two to three years of hard work, combining their education with the footballing programme we provide.”
During the evening, two extra special awards were presented to deserving participants who have gone above and beyond while studying.
Noah from Oldham College was presented with this year’s ‘City in the Community Person of the Year’ award.
This award was given to, Noah, for his contribution towards being an all-round team player, a caring and inclusive teammate on and off the football pitch as well as being a true role model to other CITC participants.
Reflecting on their achievement, Noah, said: “For me, this award means education, it means commitment.
“For me personally, looking back from where I’m from, and seeing how far I’ve come in life and where I’m heading to. I want to say a special thank you to all the teachers and the coaches for all the support I got.”
Hajra from Connell Co-Op College was then announced as the recipient of the ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’.
Hajra was recognised in collaboration with college teaching staff, for her amazing attitude towards her learning as well as her academic achievement over the course duration.
Hajra commented on what it was like to receive this award saying:
“I think it’s amazing.
“I think with everything that happens outside of college it’s great have that support within college from your teammates and coaches, I really appreciate it.”
The City BTEC programme is delivered across three locations across Greater Manchester. The two-year education programme delivers a holistic education of football, as well as a classroom-based curriculum.
During the 2024/2025 season, the course supported 198 unique participants, offering them each an average of 128 hours of contact time, helping them gain the qualifications they need to take the next steps into their futures.
Qualifications on offer:
Ashton Sixth Form College:
• BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport.
Connell College:
• Sports Coaching and Development BTEC Sport and Exercise Science.
Oldham College:
• BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport and Level 2 Sports.
For more information on the course, visit: mancity.com/btec
If you are in year ten or 11, and are interested in joining the course, register your interest for our taster days taking place over half term here: [CB2] https://bit.ly/4uoyZYX
You can support CITC by entering its monthly Prize Draw
ENTER THE CITC MONTHLY PRIZE DRAW
The City in the Community Prize Draw is powered by Raise Your Game and your support will go towards sustaining the charity’s programmes, which empower healthier lives through football.
Entries start at £5 per ticket; fans can enter on a one-off basis, or they can sign up to a direct debit, meaning they enter the draw monthly automatically. *
City in the Community empowers healthier lives through football.
To find out more, visit www.mancity.com/citc or follow @citcmancity on social media.
*Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, Qatar, Lebanon, and North Korea are the only excluded countries from the prize draw.
