Now in its third year, the Club joined forces with Etihad Airways to develop the skills of young people who are committed to utilising football to tackle social issues within their community, such as gang crime, substance abuse and HIV/AIDS.
More than 50 youth leaders from across the Blues’ global network of community projects attended the weeklong Summit, held at the City Football Academy.
Made possible by Etihad, the Summit’s official partner, who flew participants to Manchester, where they took part in on and off the pitch workshops to enhance their football coaching and community leadership skills.
Twenty-year-old Fayad, from the Manchester Boots & Beats project, which for two years has used football and music to engage more than 500 local youngsters in a bid to tackle youth unemployment, was attending his first Summit.
“I started as a participant and in the last 18 months I have been able to gain a lot of training and experience,” he said.
“I’ve learnt a lot about myself during the Summit. I’ve improved my leadership skills but I’ve also learnt how to be patient and how to work well as a team.
“This week has brought together young people from all around the world who share one common goal – to make a change.
“We’ve learnt so much from each other and it’s an experience I will never forget.”
New for this year, 16 of the returning leaders from Manchester, New York, Melbourne, Cape Town, Kuala Lumpur, Barranquilla, Kolkata and São Paulo co-delivered the Summit, helping out their peers from new the projects in Beijing, Bandung (Indonesia), Mexico City and Abu Dhabi.
“We are extremely proud that our community footprint continues to grow and develop every year – both locally where City Football Group has Clubs in Manchester, New York City and Melbourne but also globally,” reflected Omar Berrada, Chief Operating Officer for Manchester City FC.
“This summit epitomises the power of football to change lives and we’re delighted to be working with Etihad Airways to connect the young leaders together.
“We’ve brought young leaders from different backgrounds, speaking a number of different languages and yet they all share a common goal – to make a difference through football.
“Using our community philosophy and years of experience, we are equipping the young leaders with the tools they need to go out and deliver life changing projects in their communities.”
Delegates had a unique opportunity to take part in masterclasses delivered by members of City Football Group’s leadership team, while other practical sessions helped hone safeguarding as well as event and project management skills.
This proved useful for the culmination of the week’s activities as the young leaders utilised their knowledge to plan and deliver two successful football festivals for local school children and City fans.
As the Summit’s official partner, Etihad Airways were delighted to have the opportunity to bring together youngsters who are striving to make a difference in their community.
“Etihad Airways has a duty to contribute to communities around the world,” added Vice President, Marketing Partnerships, Patrick Pierce.
“By flying delegates into Manchester for the Cityzens Giving Young Leader Summit, we are honoured to connect young people who seek to address complex social issues in their home cities.
“This is another powerful example of using the medium of football to tackle a wide range of social problems and give young people a brighter future.”
