The beneficiaries of the new Foundation schools in Ukraine visit Madrid for the first time
The initiative brings together sport, education and hope for young people living in vulnerable situations.The initiative brings together sport, education and hope for young people living in vulnerable situations.
The Real Madrid Foundation, in collaboration with the Salesian Missions, has welcomed 20 boys and girls to Madrid. They are the beneficiaries of the new social sports schools in Ukraine, co-funded by the European Union, the Salesian Missions and the FRM. The schools, located in Vynnyky and Zhytomyr, offer comprehensive support to young people who have been affected by the war, including domestic refugees, orphans and children from families in vulnerable situations.
During their four-day trip, the youngsters enjoyed an extra special program that included attending the match between Real Madrid and Getafe at the Santiago Bernabéu, a visit to Real Madrid City to watch the first-team training session and work out at the club’s facilities themselves under the guidance of their coaches. They also spent a day with the students who attend the Valdebernardo social sports school at the Faustina Valladolid sports centre. The educational and cultural program gave them the chance to explore Madrid and also visit Toledo, enriching their experience far beyond sports.
The two schools in Ukraine, which help almost 200 children aged between 5 and 16, offer comprehensive training that combines value-based football coaching with school support, English classes, psychological assistance, additional nutrition and creative activities including art therapy. The initiatives, carried out at the Salesian Missions sports centre in Vynnyky and their Vsesvit de Zhytomyr school, reinforce the Foundation’s mission of promoting education, including and wellbeing for young people in vulnerable positions.
The project is a reflection of the Real Madrid Foundation’s commitment, alongside its partners, to using sport as a tool to improve the lives of boys and girls living in challenging social contexts.
This publication has been co-funded by the European Union. Its content is the sole responsibility of the Real Madrid Foundation and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.