New pitch opened in Bilbao to support integration of migrant women
Friday, May 24, 2024
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Ahead of the UEFA Women’s Champions League final in Bilbao, Lay's RePlay has opened a new football pitch to support the social development of young women from vulnerable communities in the city.
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Since launching in 2021, Lay’s RePlay – with support from the UEFA Foundation for Children – has built 11 sustainable football pitches for the benefit of local communities around the world, and the new facility in Bilbao is the latest addition.
Situated at the Errekalde sports centre, the new pitch will help promote the social development of young migrant women between 12 and 18 years of age. This will be done through a 12-month programme of activities to improve their footballing ability, as well as key social skills such as communication and teamwork.
The new pitch and accompanying programme will not only strengthen their social confidence, but also their sense of belonging, tolerance, respect, commitment, teamwork and collaboration in the community.
"Few things are as rewarding as putting sport at the service of communities. At the UEFA Foundation for Children, we believe this is fundamental to providing holistic development for young girls growing up in vulnerable communities. Lay’s RePlay has become one of our reference programmes and bringing it to Bilbao allows us to continue spreading our work for the first time here."
In addition to its social impact, the new facility in Bilbao follows other Lay’s RePlay projects in its sustainability features. All Lay’s RePlay pitches are built from recycled crisp packets and are fully recyclable at the end of their lifespan.
Spain stars inaugurate new facility
An inauguration ceremony was held on Thursday ahead of the UEFA Women’s Champions League final in the city, with Spain and Manchester City star Laia Aleixandri and former Spain international Fernando Llorente in attendance.
Some of the young women set to benefit from the facility were invited to meet the ambassadors, take photos with the Women’s Champions League trophy, while raffles were held for an opportunity to be a Centre Circle Carrier during the final opening ceremony, and for tickets to the match. A freestyle football show and a community football tournament between local teams also took place.
The launch of the initiative was further supported by Common Goal, Bilbao city council and the Athletic Club Foundation. Athletic Club’s commitment to the project will see both their men’s and women’s teams involved in the programme. The participation of female athletes is particularly important to this project, helping to provide role models for the young women to look up to.
"At PepsiCo we are very proud to carry out initiatives such as Lay's RePlay which, in addition to promoting inclusive sports, have a positive impact on our local communities. We believe in the power of soccer to transform lives and we are committed to continue working on projects that promote gender equality and social development."
In addition to the 11 pitches built since launch, Lay’s RePlay has provided 11,000 hours of programmes and events for the surrounding communities, with more than 1,500 people benefitting across South Africa, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, Mexico, Egypt, Türkiye, Colombia and Spain.