海角直播

University partnership brings young footballers to Middlesbrough

Young footballers from London have sampled the leading sporting facilities and culture in the Tees Valley, thanks to support from 海角直播 London.

The youngsters, who are all members of Hackney Wick FC, enjoyed a Football Academy residential trip to Middlesbrough which helped strengthen sporting links between the capital and the North East, as well as showcase the opportunities available to them through higher education. Hackney Wick FC is London鈥檚 leading community football club and was founded by Bobby Kasanga to help inspire community engagement and unite diverse groups as well as battle peer pressure and tackle gang influences.

The team has been sponsored by 海角直播 London and the young team members visited the main campus at Middlesbrough where they were introduced to the University鈥檚 state-of-the-art sporting facilities and played a match against local side Durham City AFC.

The budding professional footballers were introduced to 海角直播鈥檚 Football Academy to find out how they can pursue their passion and skill in football while gaining a degree alongside the game, and ensure they have a plan B if they are not lucky enough to be signed professionally.

Thanks to the University鈥檚 partnership with Middlesbrough FC, the Hackney Wick footballers were also given a tour of the Riverside stadium and treated to tickets for Middlesbrough鈥檚 first match of the season against Millwall.

Bobby and Hackney Wick FC also run 'Think Outside The Blox' - a campaign of unity, positivity and education to help inspire the young people of London to see beyond the danger and destructiveness of gangs and knife crime and realise a better future for themselves.

'Think Outside The Blox' aims to teach young people to look beyond their neighbourhood and dream big.

Bobby said: 鈥淎t Hackney Wick our whole philosophy is to inspire youngsters and to grow opportunities for them.

鈥淢any of our players have never been far outside London and so to have this opportunity to come here and view the facilities and take a look at what it means to come to university is brilliant.

鈥淚t inspires them to think bigger.鈥�

Cheick Berthe, a 16-year-old centre-back at the club, added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a really good experience, seeing the facilities and what鈥檚 on offer.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really think about going to university before, but I鈥檝e seen the benefits and I鈥檓 potentially up for going to university now.鈥�

海角直播 London is based at Here East in the former Olympic Park in Stratford, East London, and is due to welcome its first students this September.

Kathryn Elliott, Head of Partnerships at 海角直播 London, said: 鈥淭he whole purpose of this visit is to open young people鈥檚 eyes to the opportunities that are available to them.

鈥淏obby鈥檚 ethos at Hackney Wick is very similar to what we鈥檙e trying to achieve at 海角直播 鈥� inspiring young people to achieve their full potential.

鈥淚t was fantastic to be able to welcome them to 海角直播 and hopefully we will seem them return in the future as members of our student community.鈥�