Manchester United Foundation

Manchester Health Academy and Manchester United Foundation have been in partnership as part of the Foundation’s Hub of the Community programme since 2009.

Manchester United Foundation work in partnership with the Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as lead sponsor to develop and promote healthy living through sport and the association with Manchester United, its players and philosophy.

Lee Caldwell, Hub Development Officer

Within the role of Hub Development Officer, Lee works both within the Academy and at its partnership primary schools.

 Manchester United Foundation’s Annual Review 2015

Programmes

In partnership with staff at Manchester Health Academy, Lee delivers programmes and activities that include:

• Leadership Programme – this programme runs through both the Academy and the partnership primary schools.
• Curriculum-based sessions aiming to develop both physical and life skills
• Girls-only after school sessions with a pathway into junior football
• Football coaching (Sixth-form team)

Sixth-form students are also encouraged to take part in educational activities such as the FA Junior Football Leaders award which can lead to opportunities in coaching. Five students qualified as coaches through the most recent programme.

Partnership Primary Schools

Lee regularly spends time in our Partnership primary Schools working with their pupils, and hosts pupil visits to the Academy.  As well as delivering the Leadership progamme, Lee organises the Primary Football League.

Rewards and Incentives

The Foundation provides match tickets and other rewards to Academy students who have made particularly good progress.  Students are nominated by their teachers, read about two of our students who received tickets last year here.

Students at Manchester Health Academy were given an extra special surprise in February 2015 when MUFC players Phil Jones and Luke Shaw paid a visit to the Academy.  Twelve MHA students plus pupils from Sandilands Primary School, who had all completed the Manchester United Foundation Leadership Course with Lee were invited, read the full story here.

MUFC Ball Person

Each year a student is chosen to represent the Academy as a Ball Person.

Year 9 student Lewis Haughton represented the Academy last season. Lewis explains, “I found out about the ball boy position through Mr Jones, who told us about the opportunity in assembly. We then had to write a letter explaining about why we should be chosen to be the ball boy. Then we were asked to attend an interview – before the interview I felt very nervous because this was a new experience for me.  It’s made me be more aware of my behaviour in school, because there is always the risk of me losing my position.”

Lewis was succeeded by Curtis Miller for the current season. Curtis says “It feels good to have been chosen – it will be good experience and something new to do.”

Street Reds

Hub Officer Lee also delivers evening Community Cohesion sessions at Manchester Health Academy through the Foundation’s Street Reds scheme. Sessions are held on Monday and Friday evenings, 48 weeks of the year, and offer football coaching and a range of alternative activity sessions to young people at times when they could otherwise be engaged in anti-social behaviour.  Read more about the Street Reds programme here.