Micah helps launch Communication For Success

Micah
Richards dropped in at a Withington primary school on Thursday to help
launch a programme to promote better children's fitness in the area.

The
City star was at St Paul's Primary School in Withington along with
former England & Arsenal defender Martin Keown, the ambassador for
the BT and Football Foundation partnership that is behind £1 million
UK-wide Communicating for Success programme.

Manchester City’s
registered charity, City in the Community, is leading the local
initiative which will also involve the 3 Manchester Playing for Success
study centres partnered with MCFC and Sale Harriers Athletic Club.

It
is one of 12 new projects funded by BT and the Football Foundation,
working with sporting organisations across the UK to bring the benefits
of sport and technology closer to the local communities where they are
based. The partnership programme has been hailed by the Prime Minister,
Gordon Brown, as ‘exciting and innovative’.

In Manchester, it
will focus on helping young people aged 10 and 11 to use a variety of
information and communications technology (ICT) resources to develop a
programme of activities highlighting the importance of healthy eating
and fitness to younger children at their own schools.

The project
kicks off during the February half-term holiday at six schools and the
three Playing for Success study support centres, with three-day
sessions also planned at an additional 12 schools over Easter and
during the May half-term holidays, as well as at all the participating
schools’ after-school clubs.

City in the Community coaches will
be helping develop the sport and health programme. It will include
using computer software tools like Powerpoint and developing video and
editing skills to compile a DVD, explaining to six and seven year olds
the importance of healthy eating and fitness.

Micah told us, "I
really enjoyed coming down and meeting the kids at the school, and they
seemed to enjoy the event as well. I've only just managed to switch on
a laptop myself, but it will be good for the kids to start learning
about fitness by using technology as early as possible. It can only be
beneficial for them."

Martin Keown added, "When kids get on
computers now you can hardly see their fingers move because they are so
good with them, but we want them to use computers in the right way.
We're doing what we can in the schools with this project, parents can
help as well but we want to help get the kids moving and that's what we
have done here at St Paul's."