Manchester City’s Charity, City in the Community (CITC), is spotlighting its work and programmes through the voices and stories of its participants.
This month, CITC spoke with Charlie, a participant on the City Inspires programme at Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School.
Charlie joined the Inspires sessions in September 2025, after being recommended for the programme, due to challenges he faced with social and emotional development in the school environment.
Being very shy within group sessions, he rarely spoke up unless in smaller settings.
However, as he progressed through the programme, Charlie began to develop the confidence he needed to express himself.
Getting involved in group discussions in sessions helped Charlie find his voice, leading to him building stronger relationships with his classmates and teachers.
Reflecting on his experience, Charlie described the programme as being a key factor in his social and personal development:
“Taking part in class debates and discussions while on Inspires has helped me make stronger relationships with my friends and people that I wouldn’t normally talk to around school.”
“I now feel more confident when talking to new people and I have much more motivation at home to get up and try new things.”
This progress has been noticed by Charlie’s teachers, who have watched him use the skills from the sessions during his school life.
Head of Year, Vinny McLaughlin, commented on Charlie’s change in attitude towards school saying:
“Prior to the programme, Charlie was shy, timid and not 100% sure on his place within the year group.
“Over the past few months, I have seen him become a reliable and enthusiastic person, and I am so proud of this positive change.
“A lot of his peers admire his can-do attitude and work ethic, and he is now in a really strong position as he heads into year 10.”
The impact of the programme on Charlie has also been seen within his home life. Charlie’s parents have seen a noticeable difference in his confidence and maturity, alongside a stronger belief in his own abilities.
Charlie’s Mother, Catherine, described the changes she has seen in his throughout the year saying: “From the very beginning, Charlie has showed nothing but enthusiasm when talking about the sessions.
“On a personal level, I have noticed an increase in confidence in Charlie both at school and at home.
“I am really pleased with the progress that Charlie has made and the impact it has had on his social and emotional development, and I’m so grateful he had this opportunity at such a pivotal time where he’s maturing into a young adult.”
Charlie now has clear aspirations for the future, one of which is a hope to continue his education and involvement with CITC and the sessions:
“The Inspires programme has been a great way to help me become more confident and has encouraged me to try new things outside of school.
“It’s given me opportunity to do work experience with them, which I am very passionate and excited about.
“It has changed my aspirations as I didn’t know I would want to be a football coach before starting the course, but now I have a good idea that I would like to pursue this as a career.
“I would like to go on to do the City BTEC programme, once I finish school and hopefully go on to work with CITC in the future.”
The City Inspires programme aims to build confidence and form positive relationships with education.
Delivered across Greater Manchester, the provision works with secondary school learners who are at risk of not reaching their potential and support them as they move through the education system.
To find out more about the programme, visit: mancity.com/inspires
With thanks to the Premier League Foundation for supporting CITC’s delivery of the programme.
Support CITC and its work through the monthly Prize Draw.
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.
