Young students take centre-stage in Football For Life events

The Football Social Responsibility (FSR) Department of the Malta Football Association plays a leading role in the co-ordination and promotion of several initiatives in favour of inclusion and integration, using football as a catalyst.  A number of activities related to these social projects were held last week. On Wednesday and Thursday, the Malta FA’s FSR Department, led by Peter Busuttil, hosted students and staff from the Guardian Angel Secondary Education Resource Centre. Malta midfielder Rowen Muscat together with Alishia Sultana and Simone Buttigieg, from the women’s national team, attended these activities to the satisfaction of the visiting guests who were given a tour of the National Stadium and also took part in fun games. On Friday, the Malta FA hosted the young members of the Footballers Read and Write Programme. Around 80 young students, together with coaches Gilbert Agius, Carmel Busuttil and Saviour Darmanin and their teachers, participated in football and educational activities at the National Stadium. Malta goalkeeper Andrew Hogg was also present for this activity. Earlier in the week, members of the Malta FA FSR department met with over 150 refugees (unaccompanied minors) at two open centres at Ħal-Far and Fgura. The young residents of these two open centres, together with other Maltese and foreign youths, will participate in the new inclusion project for 2019, entitled ‘All In’. “Over the past three years, the Malta FA has stepped up its integration projects as part of its Football for Life programme,” Peter Busuttil said. “The 2019 inclusion campaign, which is co-financed by the European Union, is a continuation of last year’s ‘Include Me and I Will Understand’ initiative which featured the participation of over 500 persons, 10 clubs and a number of NGOs, agencies and associations.” The first sessions of the ‘All In’ campaign will be taking place in the coming weeks.