Manchester City’s charity, City in the Community (CITC), has announced a new multi-year partnership with Italian fashion brand, C.P. Company.
The Club’s Official Fashionwear Partner is supporting CITC’s Healthy Goals campaign, helping to empower healthier lives through football and further strengthening their ongoing multi-year partnership.
Funds raised through Healthy Goals 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 are delivered.
C.P. Company’s investment will enable City in the Community to renovate three community or school pitches over the course of the partnership. This builds on the Club’s partnership with C.P. Company starting in July 2024.
C.P. Company President, Lorenzo Osti, said: “At C.P. Company, communities have always been at the heart of what we do. For several years, we’ve promoted a project called There Is No Us Without You, which uses sport — especially football — to foster inclusion, break down barriers, and serve as a powerful force for social cohesion.
“That’s why we’re proud to partner with City in the Community on a project that brings people together and drives meaningful, lasting change.”
The first pitch to be regenerated through the partnership is located at Bradford Park, just steps from the Etihad Stadium. C.P. Company’s support will enable City in the Community to renovate three community or school pitches in total.
For this first initiative, C.P. Company and City in the Community worked with local school children to design the artwork, with one child’s drawing selected as the final inspiration. To celebrate, Manchester City’s Jack Grealish surprised the winner, Waiden Jones, during an assembly at St Brigid’s Primary School.
Commenting on the surprise, Waiden said: “We went to assembly to do some hymn practice, but they paused it and said we weren’t actually there for singing, there is a special person coming in. Then Jack Grealish came in. I then got to show him my picture that I made from the Grange.
“It’s amazing that something that I’ve made is actually going to be in a park local.”
City in the Community CEO, Mike Geary, added: “We are delighted to be regenerating Bradford Park this summer and would like to thank C.P. Company for their support of the 2024/25 Healthy Goals campaign.
“This latest project will be the eighth community football pitch we have regenerated since May 2023, when we opened brand-new multi-use games areas in Scotland Hall Road and Ladybarn Park.
“We look forward to working with C.P. Company on a special opening event once the pitch is complete, when we will also reveal Waiden’s inspired design.”
City in the Community exists to empower healthier lives with city youth through football. The charity uses the hook of the Club to engage Greater Manchester in meaningful programmes, which are categorised by three outcome-based pillars: healthy people, healthy futures and healthy communities.
For more information, visitwww.mancity.com/CITC.