The visit provided students with further insights and progress in the development of the Youth Charter Community Campus project.

The students are completing a Master course in Social Innovations in the Sport and Movement Sector at HAN University of Applied Sciences in Arnhem, The Netherlands. They are visiting Manchester as part of a three-day study trip, which will include visiting community sport projects.

The HAN University delegates were introduced to the Community Campus Models currently being developed in Greater Manchester (Birley, Etihad, ICZ Media City) how ‘Community Development through Sport’ and ‘Sport Development in the Community’ becomes part of a wider social and economic opportunity of sport, art, culture and digital technology within their communities..

The Youth Charter provided access to partner facilities, such as: ICZ MediaCityUK Community Campus in Salford; and the Etihad Community Campus in East Manchester. The contrasting and complementary redevelopment and regeneration projects demonstrated the challenges and opportunities for providing access to world class facilities.

The HAN University delegate’s studies will complement their professional development and the delivery of sport and health programmes, which included: education; health; youth justice; disability sport; and elite sport, with social Innovation as a key theme of this work.

Students from the tour said how they were inspired by the discussion lead by Geoff and wanted to learn more about the Youth Charter programmes.

In addition to the student delegation, A group of 21 academics from the Kenniscentrum Sport (Knowledge Centre for Sport Netherlands) also visited the Youth Charter, providing the academics with an insight into the development of the Youth Charter Community Campus and Social Coach Leadership Programme.