What if there was a programme that gave underprivileged children a chance to make it to the big leagues in international football? It’s a dream that’s coming true, thanks to a partnership between Nestlé and the Football Factory Football Academy.
That partnership began in August 2016, when Nestlé helped the Football Factory host a successful summer camp that helped 40 at-risk children from Carenage, Laventille, Morvant and other areas. Since then the Club has expanded significantly, and now trains almost 200 young players, up from 140.
This week, Nestlé announced an increase in its sponsorship: In addition to providing MILO milk drinks and sponsoring T-shirts and kit, Nestlé will invest $200,000 throughout 2017 to help the Football Factory expand its activities.
Founder and Head Coach of the Football Factory, Terry Fenwick, says football camps with Manchester City FC and Manchester United FC are in the pipeline, as well as partnerships with US schools to offer talented kids scholarships.
“Trinidad and Tobago’s footballers are naturally very quick and strong, and, because we tend to play on uneven ground, very agile. These are attributes that top clubs are looking for,” Fenwick adds.
“Here at Nestlé, we are driven by a simple purpose: enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future,” says the company’s Corporate Communications Manager, Denise d’Abadie, “The Football Factory offers these youngsters a chance to have fun in a safe, supervised environment, and in some cases, puts them on the path to professional football. It’s a perfect fit for us.”
The Football Factory caters to children as young as four, right up to 24. They train on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, all year round and along the way, they learn life skills through the power of football. According to Fenwick, a former Tottenham Hotspur F.C and England World Cup player: “Our goal is to teach the kids discipline and leadership, and to help them learn to communicate, so that they have a better chance of succeeding in life.”