This month, CITC spoke to Joe, a participant on both the City Degree and the 93:20 volunteer programme.
Joe’s journey began with CITC in September 2024, when he enrolled on the City Degree programme in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University.
As part of the undergraduate course, Joe did a work-based learning placement with the City BTEC team.
During this time Joe’s passion for community coaching became clear, which lead to him seeking more opportunities within CITC.
Through two degree coaches, Joe was introduced to CITC’s 93:20 programme, which is a long-term volunteer programme for young people in the community.
Through the programme, young people are able to gain experience in real life working environments, being assigned to CITC sessions, giving them the skills and confidence they need to take the next steps in their careers.
Alongside his studies, Joe now volunteers on the City Girls programme, where he is able to further develop his coaching skills, gain experience to help with his aspirations of becoming a community coach, and meet new people with similar passions to him.
Describing how the sessions have helped develop his confidence as a coach, Joe said:
“Volunteering on CITC programmes, like City Girls, has helped increase my confidence, my own self-motivation and belief that hopefully one day, I’ll be able to take on a role here at CITC.
“Meeting lots of other volunteers has helped me a lot, and I’ve made quite a lot of different friends from different backgrounds, which has been great.”
Sitting under the Healthy Futures pillar, 93:20 aims to inspire young people aged 16-25 to develop their skills and experience, providing qualifications and pathways into employment both within CITC and across the network of partner organisations.
As part of the programme, young people will complete 23 hours of volunteering across various CITC programmes.
To find out more about 93:20, visit: mancity.com/9320citc
If you want to support City in the Community and its work, enter this month’s Prize Draw competition, for the chance to win a Abdukodir Khusanov Home Shirt, a Phil Foden Home Shirt and more.
The City in the Community Prize Draw is powered by Raise Your Game, and your support will go towards sustaining the charity’s programmes, which empower healthier lives through football.
Entries start at £5 per ticket; fans can enter on a one-off basis, or they can sign up to a direct debit, meaning they enter the draw monthly automatically. *
City in the Community empowers healthier lives through football.
To find out more, visit www.mancity.com/citc or follow @citcmancity on social media.
*Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, Qatar, Lebanon, and North Korea are the only excluded countries from the prize draw.
