NewsStandard Chartered and LFC head to South Africa for first ever 'Play On: Train the Trainer'

Five coaches from the club’s Soccer Schools and LFC Foundation delivered a bespoke ‘Play On’ curriculum to 34 coaches from Standard Chartered’s Futuremakers initiative from November 27 to 29, in a combined programme of classroom-based and on-pitch learning.

Workshops taught included ‘person-centred approach’, ‘barriers to participation’, ‘mental health and wellbeing’, ‘balancing life’ and ‘empowering women in leadership’.

Following a series of daily tasks, the Futuremakers coaches were then asked to put into practice what they had learned during the three-day programme and create their own session plans incorporating the ‘Play On’ curriculum, which they will then take back and deliver to girls in their local communities.

Kweku Bedu-Addo, CEO of Standard Chartered South Africa and Southern Africa, said: “Sports are always a brilliant platform to develop and build important attributes in life such as personal confidence, teamwork, resilience and leadership.

“Standard Chartered is delighted with the opportunity in partnership with Liverpool Football Club to create this fantastic bespoke training programme aimed at keeping young girls playing on.”

Nokuthula Mohlomi, a Futuremakers coach from Pretoria who attended this week’s programme, added: “We were so excited to be invited to take part in this important programme by Standard Chartered and Liverpool Football Club.

“As a coach of girls myself, I have seen first-hand how playing sport can increase a young woman’s confidence and give her a safe space to learn, grow and make friends. Work like this is vital to highlight the benefits of playing sport and encourage girls not to stop playing when they become teenagers.”

Standard Chartered and LFC launched ‘Play On’ in May 2023 with the aim to inspire, empower and educate girls to participate in sport, after learning that twice as many girls than boys drop out of sport by age 14.

Following a successful digital awareness campaign featuring senior Reds players and Jürgen Klopp, the ‘Play On: Train the Trainer’ programme was created as practical training to be delivered in-person, on the ground in regions where Standard Chartered works with Futuremakers coaches and female participants.

When delivering his session in Pretoria, Steven Gillespie, LFC’s senior International Academy programme manager, said: “I feel honoured and privileged to deliver this ‘Play On: Train the Trainer’ programme in South Africa. Utilising LFC’s proven coaching philosophy, which puts the person above the player, adds a unique insight for the participants in this initiative.

“Through the implementation of this project, we’re working in conjunction with Standard Chartered to encourage girls to stay in sport and strive for success in all aspects of their life.”

Leah McAteer Thompson, female empowerment and allyship co-ordinator at LFC Foundation, added: “Leveraging the power of football to engage the Futuremakers coaches in Pretoria, we have provided a unique ‘The Liverpool Way’ experience that aims to leave a sustainable lasting legacy in the surrounding communities of Johannesburg for many years to come.

“Utilising a fluid approach to our content delivery, we have been able to support with live, relatable issues and barriers that persist currently in South Africa, balancing theory-based practice and ensuring a meaningful versatile curriculum is delivered to add the most value and impact in each country that it is delivered.”

To learn more about the Play On campaign, please visit https://www.sc.com/play-on.