Pioneering Manchester united football project launched to boost technology skills and healthy eating in Trafford schools.

Using the latest design and communications technology to promote healthy eating and fitness is child’s play for youngsters in Manchester! Today they will be showcasing a range of innovative new healthy eating games they have created as part of a pioneering programme, designed to build the self-confidence and improve the education and communications skills - as well as to the promote the health and fitness - of those taking part.

BT and the Football Foundation, the UK’s largest sports charity, have teamed up with Manchester United Football Club for the initiative, designed to improve the digital technology skills and attitude to exercise of scores of local children and their families.

It is part of Communicating for Success (CfS), a £1 million UK-wide programme using the positive influence of football to help combat digital exclusion and improve communication skills across the UK. It has been hailed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown as “exciting and innovative”.

The Manchester United project initially involves 36 pupils aged 10 and 11 from Forest Gate Community Primary, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary and Partington Primary Schools.

The “Deal Yourself an Active Digital Diary” project is supported by Manchester United’s Study Centre, Football in the Community and local BT volunteers. It is being run at the Manchester United Foundation at Broadoak High School, the Study Support Centre at Old Trafford and the club’s training ground, as well as at the participating schools.   

The 10-week project is designed to transform the way children and their families think about exercise, healthy eating and learning IT.   

It involves Football in the Community coaches visiting each of the three primary schools to deliver coaching and fitness sessions to all year 5 and 6 pupils, and the participating pupils attending three two-hour IT and healthy eating sessions at the Study Support Centre at Old Trafford.  Activities include fitness training, coaching and personal development, combined with a healthy eating cooking session. 

The information gathered during the fitness and healthy eating activities creates the basis for a ‘digital diary’, made up of contributions from participating children and their families over the course of the 10 weeks. The youngsters will then collate the data using IT facilities at the Study Support Centre, to form a benchmark for healthy eating habits and regular exercise. Children will then use this information to design and create high-quality, colourful and glossy physical activity wall planners and eye-catching and innovative healthy eating card games, under the guidance of a professional graphic designer, with input from the older secondary school students.   

The resulting templates come with progress stickers for the various activities to enable the programme to be repeated, enabling scores more local young people to benefit. Neil Bradburn, Coordinator of the Manchester United Foundation study support centre said: “Harnessing the power of football and the privileged position the sport has in our society, this innovative project will encourage young people, some from deprived backgrounds, to lead healthy, fulfilling lives while teaching them that ICT can be both fun and life enhancing.“It is clear from the fantastic games that have been produced so far that the whole project has certainly captured the imagination of everyone taking part.”   

Peter Connor, BT’s North West regional manager, said: “The importance of IT skills cannot be overstated and BT is determined to do all it can to give children the best possible chance in life by helping to build confidence with communications, computers and the internet.    

“The Football Foundation has worked with us to develop Communicating for Success, combining the attraction of our national game and other sports with learning, to help people develop skills in ways they have not experienced before.

“This Manchester United project is particularly innovative because the learning programme and resources being created can be used and reused to encourage healthy eating habits as well as to highlight the benefits of developing new IT skills in a truly fun and imaginative way.

“BT has deep-rooted commitment to supporting a range of community initiatives in Manchester. This latest project follows the BT Paralympic World Cup in May, and BT is the lead partner in the new Manchester Communication Academy, which opens next year.”

Paul Thorogood, chief executive of the Football Foundation, said: “Communicating for Success is a very exciting partnership between the Football Foundation and BT.  Not only will participants learn about sport, health and endurance, they will also develop vital communications skills in a more relaxed and enjoyable environment than the traditional, more formal classroom setting.”

Communicating for Success is part of a UK-wide programme into which BT is making an initial first-year investment of £500,000, which will be matched by the Football Foundation.

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