• Ten Young Leaders involved with Manchester City’s global charity initiative, Cityzens Giving, are flying to Abu Dhabi in March 2023 for a four-day football-based leadership experience. 
  • The Young Leaders – from Manchester, Melbourne, Mumbai, New York City and Bandung – were selected to take part for their dedication and skill as community football leaders. 
  • City Football Group clubs Manchester City, Melbourne City, New York City and Mumbai City will all be represented amongst the cohort. 

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: The Etihad Airways Youth Leadership Experience is returning for a second year, with Cityzens Giving Young Leaders from Manchester, Melbourne, Mumbai, New York City and Bandung flying into Abu Dhabi this week with Etihad Airways for the trip of a lifetime.  

In Abu Dhabi, the Young Leaders – who all use the power of football to positively impact young people in their communities – will receive additional training in community football and leadership as well as deliver football sessions to local youth at City Football Schools. They will also experience and enjoy Abu Dhabi and much of what it has to offer as a leading cultural destination. 

A highlight of the trip will be the opportunity to visit Etihad Airways HQ in Abu Dhabi for an interactive workshop on leadership inspired by the airline’s ‘Grow with Etihad – Leadership Excellence Programme’.  

Reflecting on the opportunity, Grace, one of the Young Leaders and a coach with City in the Community (CITC) said: “I first got involved with City in the Community as a participant when I was 11. I’ve since developed as a Young Leader, most recently progressing onto the Degree programme, and working as a part-time coach. I’m really looking forward to meeting new people, making new connections and learning about other cultures in Abu Dhabi. I can’t wait to see the different coaching styles and bring elements back to introduce in my own sessions here in Manchester!”  

This talented group of Young Leaders were selected to take part for their dedication and skill as community football leaders. They all form part of Cityzens Giving’s global project network, comprising over 1,000 young leaders in more than 25 cities. This year, City Football Group clubs Manchester City, Melbourne City, New York City and Mumbai City will all be represented amongst the cohort.  

Tom Pitchon, City Football Group’s global foundation Director said: “We are thrilled to once again offer Young Leaders from around the world the opportunity to visit Abu Dhabi for this football and leadership experience with Etihad Airways. It is fantastic to bring together representatives from four of our City Football Group clubs, and we hope that the trip inspires them to continue to develop as leaders in their communities.” 

Amina Taher, Vice President Brand, Marketing and Sponsorships, Etihad Airways, said: “Thanks to our partnership with City Football Group, we’re truly proud to have the opportunity to impact the lives of young people from all around the world through this Youth Leadership Experience. The participants are young leaders who are already playing a key role in their communities and through this skills development experience, we hope to empower them to grow as leaders and prosper their communities. We are excited to welcome them to our home, Abu Dhabi.” During their visit to the UAE, the Young Leaders will explore many of the most popular destinations in Abu Dhabi, including a visit to Emirates Palace.  

Last year, Cityzens Giving Young Leaders from Manchester, Mexico City and Kuala Lumpur benefitted from this once-in-a-lifetime experience with Etihad Airways. 

Follow what the Young Leaders get up to in Abu Dhabi in the coming days on Manchester City and Etihad channels.  

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About Manchester City Football Club  

Manchester City FC is an English Premier League club initially founded in 1880 as St Mark’s West Gorton. It officially became Manchester City FC in 1894 and has since then gone onto win the European Cup Winners’ Cup, seven League Championship titles, including five Premier League titles (2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021), and six FA Cups. Manchester City FC is one of 11 clubs comprising the City Football Group and counts New York City FC and Melbourne City FC among its sister clubs. 

Under manager Pep Guardiola, one of the most highly decorated managers in world football, the Club plays its domestic and UEFA Champions League home fixtures at the Etihad Stadium, a spectacular 55,000 seat arena that City have called home since 2003. Today, the Stadium sits on the wider Etihad Campus, which also encompasses the City Football Academy, a state-of-the-art performance training and youth development facility located in the heart of East Manchester. Featuring a 7,000 capacity Academy Stadium, the City Football Academy is also where Manchester City Women’s Football Club and the Elite Development Squad train on a daily basis and play their competitive home games. 

For more information, please visit www.mancity.com. 

About Cityzens Giving 

Cityzens Giving is an award-winning programme, supporting youth-led community football projects across the globe together with our fans, staff and partners.   

Projects are run by young people for people with support and administrative oversight from vetted registered charity partners across the globe. In addition to long-term grant funding, Young Leaders access training in community football and leadership from our Club community coaches and networking opportunities with other projects worldwide. This includes face-to-face training in country (when conditions permit), remote support, and regular global forums and summits to support the exchange of know-how and learning.  Since the launch of Cityzens Giving in 2014, over 2,000 Young Leaders have been trained with over 25,000 young people across 25 cities now participating in the projects, which use football to tackle a range of pressing social issues from health and wellbeing and educational attainment to social inclusion and employability to name a few. 

For more information, please visit https://www.mancity.com/community/global-projects    

About Etihad Airways 

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, was formed in 2003 and quickly went on to become one of the world’s leading airlines. From its home in Abu Dhabi, Etihad flies to passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. Together with Etihad’s codeshare partners, Etihad’s network offers access to hundreds of international destinations. In recent years, Etihad has received numerous awards for its superior service and products, cargo offering, loyalty programme and more.  

Etihad sees tackling the climate crisis as the most important issue of our time, and through strategic partnerships with major global aviation brands and OEMs, Etihad is relentless in its pursuit of industry decarbonisation.  

To learn more, visit etihad.com. 

About City in the Community 

Established in 1986, City in the Community (CITC) has been using football to create opportunities, build futures, and touch lives in a unique way ever since. Using football as a magnet to engage people aged from two to 90, Manchester City’s official charity delivers a range of award-winning programmes, focusing on three main areas: Health, Education, and Inclusion. CITC programmes currently engage with up to 20,000 local people each season.