Press release 3 August 2009

PREMIER LEAGUE AND BRITISH COUNCIL BRING INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY COACHING PROGRAMME TO PROMOTE A POSITIVE AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AMONGST YOUNG PEOPLE

Premier Skills, a collaborative community coaching project between Premier League and the British Council was launched today in Hong Kong at the University Sports Centre of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.  44 local physical education teachers and community coaches will get a full week of world-class training delivered by the Premier League’s community coaches starting from today.

57 children from Hong Kong Youth Federation Group also joined the ceremony playing football with Premier League’s community coaches for Premier Skills Hong Kong, including head coach Jon Goodman, who has played for Millwall FC, Wimbledon FC and Republic of Ireland and will lead community coaches Anthony Savery (Fulham FC), Jamie Reive (Fulham FC) and Steven Obertelli (Bolton Wanderers FC).  

Guests attended the ceremony included Dr Kwan Siu-kam, Acting Deputy Secretary for Education Bureau, Mr Vincent Yuen, General Secretary, Hong Kong Football Association, Prof. Lee Chi Kin John, Dean of Faculty of Education, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Mr Fong Kwong-yiu, Unit-in-charge, Hong Kong Youth Federation Group and Mr Lai Yu Ching, Vice-President, Now TV, Now Sports Channel.  Premier League’s Kate Hodgkinson and British Council Hong Kong’s Director English Language Services Simon Hunt represented the two organisers to announce the launch of the project in Hong Kong.  The ceremony was hosted by Now TV sports anchors Edcon Yau and Joey Lee.  

In the coming week, the participants will receive training on football, coaching, nutrition, sports programme development and leadership skills as well as communications skills in English.  The project hopes to equip participants with innovative skills and ideas to nurture and inspire young people in Hong Kong to live a positive and healthy life.  The most outstanding trainees from Premier Skills Hong Kong will be able to enter a second phase of the project to be conducted in 2010.  A dedicated Premier Skills website with a wealth of football-related materials is available free for teachers and students to learn English in a fun way through football.  

The Hong Kong programme is one of 20 that are being rolled out across Africa, India, China and South East Asia by the end of 2009.  It was successfully piloted in Alexandria and Cairo in Egypt, and Delhi and Kolkata in India in 2006.  In Hong Kong, Premier Skills is run in partnership with the Education Bureau, the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Group, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Now TV Sports Channel as media partner.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore said: “The Premier League is popular in Hong Kong and it is important we use our profile and reach to encourage and engage communities.  Our partnership with the British Council will help develop the skills of local youth leaders for the long term benefit of their local community.”

Martin Davidson, Chief Executive of the British Council said, “We are proud of Premier Skills, our partnership with the Premier League and I am delighted that this unique project, which combines English and football – two truly universal languages – has arrived in China.

“I know first hand that there is huge demand for English in China and that interest in the Premier League is bigger than ever. Next month we will launch the Premier Skills website which will give millions of learners

and teachers around the world an opportunity to improve their English and learn more about their favourite Premier League teams and players. Using new approaches to English learning and providing the latest and most dynamic learning, teaching and practice materials is central to our work in China.”