“Providing a one-of-a-kind opportunity to bring together young individuals from diverse nationalities and socio-economic backgrounds, fostering unity through their shared passion for football.”

Where it started ….

The concept of uniting young people from two disparate communities sprouted from a dialogue between Paula Powell, Team Leader for Young People’s Services based in the UK, and CAS Coordinator, Sarah Lalaz, situated in Switzerland.

Given their shared commitment to working with students aged 16-18 and their enthusiasm for fostering student empowerment and engagement, Paula and Sarah decided to devise a plan to connect young people from their respective communities. However, they recognised the need for sensitivity in developing this idea, considering the significant disparities between the two groups.

A common thread among both sets of young people was their love for football, and fortunately, Paula had a wealth of connections in this field. By intertwining this theme with the subject of mental health, an area in which Sarah possessed expertise, the groundwork was laid for young people to build upon and advance.

Recognising the paramount importance of placing young people at the helm of this project, Paula and Sarah extended an invitation to a group of young football enthusiasts to spearhead its development, aiming to make it resonate with their peers. Enthusiastic students from London initiated a collaborative effort with their counterparts in Geneva, collectively steering the project under the guidance of Paula and Sarah, who assumed the roles of mentors and coaches. They all valued the principle of working on an equitable basis, united in their pursuit of a shared objective.

Together, they set their sights on the organisation and implementation of a week-long program comprising mental health workshops, service initiatives, and football-related activities in the UK, catering to a cohort of up to 50 youths of the same age as themselves.

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The story …

Testimonial’s from the young people involved in Phase 2, Switzerland. 

Phase Two of FOOTBALL4iMPACT project built upon Phase One which saw us going to London for a week and training with the guys and going to multiple seminars. Phase 2 in my opinion was a massive success with everyone leaving having learned something new and developing new relationships from people from all around the world. It also saw massive success in bringing together more young people from surrounding Swiss schools, not just those from Ecolint and the UK, thereby creating a more unified group to continue this project with going into phase 3 (Swiss Participant).

The trip was a success! (London Participant).

I actually don’t think you guys should change anything in the program because it was so amazing and it was such a pleasing program that I enjoyed it to the fullest (London Participant).

A brilliant and life changing experience for young people who would not have had the opportunity at this stage in their lives was it not for the support of generous sponsors and contributers (London Participant).

It was an inspirational experience! I’m very lucky and grateful that I was able to come. Furthermore, it made my ambitions for football increase and inspired me to work harder towards my goals (London Participant).

FOOTBALL4iMPACT Geneva was an amazing experience. Meeting all the boys from London was truly special, and I certainly have made friends for life. From the very moment we met them at the airport I felt as though everyone made an effort to get involved with each other and really create a sense of unity amongst the group despite the fact that lots of the London boys hadn’t even met each other prior to FOOTBALL4iMPACT, and despite the fact that we all come from very different socio-economic backgrounds (Swiss Participant).

All in all, football4impact was one of the most exciting and enjoyable weekends, certainly one that will be remembered fondly for years to come. I would like to say a special thank you to all the adults/chaperones who helped organize and bring to life this ambitious yet in my eyes extremely successful project, which all came together beautifully in the end, really showing how football can unite people no matter their origins (Swiss Participant).

In Phase 2 FOOTBALL4iMPACT, we watched the UEFA Youth league semi/finals, we played football tournament with the boys from Switzerland, we participated in a mental health workshop, financial literacy and social media workshops. I really enjoyed Phase 2. It was nice to see some friends again. I think everyone had a great time and appreciated the hard work we all put in (London Participant).

It was a fantastic experience for everyone involved. People got to learn from one another while playing a game which we love. We got to visit the Hublot watch factory, watch UEFA Youth League games, eat lunch and dinner together, and had some workshops on interesting topics which I learned a lot from. We all learned a lot from each other and have made friends for life (London Participant).

Phase 2 was all about us London boys going to Geneva and having fun and working with the boys from Switzerland again but this time on their home turf (London Participant). .

This was the best experience I have had in a long time and I wish to do it again or even let other people see the beauty in this program (London Participant).

An amazing experience which I would love to repeat (Swiss Participant).
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