United Foundation team up with Scouts

The badge, which is aimed at those aged between 10 and 14 years old, will help to develop leadership qualities through tasks such as planning and running their own football tournaments, super-skills audits and designing their own t-shirts. 

To celebrate the launch, Scouts from two local groups, first Stretford (Longford) and 25th Stretford (Firswood), were invited to Old Trafford for the first time to showcase their skills and tour the Theatre of Dreams.

After taking part in skill-sharing activities, the groups were presented with their badge and congratulated by Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek in a special recorded message. 

Eleanor, aged 12 from Longford Scouts, described the experience after receiving her Team Leader Challenge Award badge. She said: “We went on a tour of the stadium and into the player’s changing room, which was really cool. We also saw the trophies and there was quite a lot of them! 

"It’s hard to describe the feeling [of receiving the Manchester United Foundation badge] as it makes you feel part of something bigger! It’s really cool that the Scouts have partnered with the Foundation.” 

Fellow Scout Finn, from Firswood Scouts, also revelled in receiving the badge and the overall experience. He said: “This is my first challenge badge, so it was really nice to receive it somewhere special like Old Trafford.”

Will Franks, a volunteer Scout leader at Firswood Scouts group, said: “The partnership between Manchester United Foundation and the Scouts really helps me support the Scouts in my group.

"Activities like the super-skills audit and trying your own post-match interview are really fun and help young people develop skills for life.”

In a partnership that enables the Foundation to support young people in Scouts groups across the UK, John Shiels MBE, chief executive officer of Manchester United Foundation, said: “Young people are the leaders of tomorrow and it’s been brilliant to enter into this partnership and develop the leadership skills of children up and down the country.

"The badge is a fantastic way for young people to utilise those skills, lead teams and develop their overall life skills for the future.”

To find out more about the partnership, and the Scouts Team Leader Challenge Award badge, please visit scouts.org.uk/supporters/manchester-united-foundation.