CCPA Mostar treat for children

UEFA's social responsibility partner CCPA Open Fun Football Schools joined forces with a local bank in Bosnia and Herzegovina to make hundreds of children happy on UEFA Champions League final day.

This year, Mostar hosted youngsters in T-shirts favouring Chelsea FC and FC Bayern München on a main city road in a "mini-UEFA Champions League" festival. Some 400 children aged between six and 12, and 100 more from local kindergartens, took part in fun workshops, played together and celebrated the joy of football.

The children came from clubs and elementary schools in Mostar, Sarajevo, Pale and Istocno Sarajevo. Their friends from SOS Children Villages joined them, as well as friends from Mostar's institutions for children with special needs. CCPA's educated staff and coaches worked with them to ensure that the day remained a moment to savour for all the children.

Games, T-shirts and gifts were provided, with organisational help also given by the Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Federation (NFSBiH), the local football association of Hercegovacko-neretvanski Kanton and the British Council.

Special cooperation has been established between Open Fun Football Schools and departments for police community work in many police stations around the country, through the project Sport + School + Police. The project was promoted at a special stand (Police – a Friend of Mine) where members of the Mostar local constabulary worked with children on educational games concerning traffic safety, as well as giving them advice on issues important for their well-being.

The day epitomised Respect and fair play, and participants watched the UEFA Champions League final, cheering both teams on. In the end, while Chelsea were to carry off the UEFA Champions League trophy, the diversity of football was the winner in Mostar.