This ethos rings true today, embodied by the Club’s charity, City in the Community.
As the 2022/23 season draws to a close, sharing success with City in the Community and the people it supports has been at the forefront of the Club’s celebrations.
Here’s 5 ways which Manchester City’s end of season moments have elevated City in the Community…
1. Premier League Trophy Presentation
Former City goalkeeper, Alex Williams MBE, was given the honour of handing the Premier League trophy to Club Captain, Ilkay Gundogan, during the presentation ceremony at the Etihad.
Williams was selected to be the lead trophy bearer for City’s third consecutive Premier League triumph by way of a fitting tribute to his 33 years’ incredible service with the Club’s charity, City in the Community, ahead of his retirement later this summer.
Alex was joined by 19-year-old Tom O’Dell, whose journey with City in the Community has been similarly inspirational, taking him from the verge of school expulsion to degree student and now valued member of staff.
2. FA Cup Final Shirts
City in the Community’s logo featured on the back of Man City’s FA Cup final shirts to help raise awareness of the charity, which has the potential to be seen by up to 500 million viewers globally.
Fans were also able to take part in an auction of match-issued FA Cup final shirts with proceeds going towards CITC’s new fundraising initiative, Healthy Goals, which uplifts the physical and mental health of city youth through football.
The auction closes at 12pm on Saturday 10th June and fans can take part HERE.
3. An Istanbul Surprise
City in the Community Military Veteran participant, Dennis, received the surprise of his life when the Club gifted him two tickets, flights and a hotel package to watch the UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul.
Dennis, a huge Man City fan, has served in the RAF for over 20 years before recently retiring. He is a much-loved member of the CITC Military Veterans sessions, who is willing to go above and beyond to support the charity and his peers.
Upon visiting the City Football Academy under false pretences, Dennis was surprised to find that instead of simply meeting CITC Community Coach Pete Bradshaw, he was presented with the trip of a lifetime.
4. Donations from UCL Final Screening
City in the Community will be receiving 100% of the proceeds raised by Manchester City’s UEFA Champions League Final screening at Depot Mayfield on Saturday, 10 June.
The Club has also enabled the charity to arrange a raffle at the event, with signed Jack Grealish and Kevin DeBruyne shirts up for grabs, to help bolster funds.
All profits raised on the night will be matched pound-for-pound* by the Club, supporting the charity’s new Healthy Goals initiative.
Funds raised will 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 will be delivered.
5. UEFA Champions League Final Shirts
City in the Community will feature on the back of Man City’s UEFA Champions League final shirts on Saturday 10th June to help raise awareness of the charity. A match which averages 400 million viewers globally.
Fans will also be able to take part in an auction of match-issued UEFA Champions League final shirts, with proceeds going towards CITC’s new fundraising initiative, Healthy Goals.
The auction will open at 8pm on Saturday 10th June, when the match kicks off, with more details to be announced across mancity.com and @citcmancity on social media soon.
Commenting on the support received from the Club, Head of City in the Community, Mike Geary, added: “2022/23 has already been a momentous season for everyone involved with Manchester City, and I am so proud to have seen CITC play a role throughout.
“City has always cared. Community has always mattered. But when purpose-led celebrations form such an important part of historic footballing moments, our values really come to life.
“I’d like to express our sincere thanks to Manchester City Football Club for supporting our charity and its participants all season.”
Founded in 1986, CITC’s purpose is to empower healthier lives with city youth through football.
Our programmes help support people across Greater Manchester by placing physical and mental wellbeing at their core, whilst creating healthy futures and healthy communities.
The 2021/22 campaign saw the charity deliver 17 programmes, reaching 19,119 people aged between two and 79, totally over 22,000 community sessions and averaging 29 hours per participant.
To keep up to date with City in the Community, follow the charity across social media using @citcmancity.
For more information, please visit www.mancity.com/CITC or email [email protected].
*Overall, City Football Group will contribute a maximum of £125,000 (GBP) to City in the Community through this campaign or £500,000 (GBP) in total for all City Football Group affiliated charities participating in the campaign (whichever comes first).
