Strike a Balance

Strike a Balance is a partnership between the club’s community scheme City in the Community (CITC), Manchester Healthy Schools and Hill Dickinson that will see CITC offer the free five-week programme to 120 primary schools in Manchester. 

The scheme will reach 3,600 young people a year and is aimed at pupils in year 5.

Strike a Balance uses the example of the diet of MCFC footballers such as Joe Hart and Gareth Barry to help young people realise that healthy food does not have to be boring food.

Each session covers a different area of healthy eating and is followed by a football session.  Topics covered include:

• The balance of good health
• Why we eat what we eat
• The importance of physical activity
• Cooking healthy, balanced meals

Every school that takes part in the programme will be invited to take part in a football tournament while every young person will receive their own work folder and Strike a Balance apron.

Strike a Balance was launched in February 2011 and the success of the programme has recently been reward when the programme won Community Scheme Project of the Year at the North West Football awards.Check out our video when Marco Pierre-White was joined by Shay Given and Joe Hart for a cook off with the children taking part in the Strike a Balance project.

For more information on Strike a Balance and CITC's other school programmes please contact Healthy Schools Project Manager Lisa Kimpton on 0161 437 7835 or e-mail lisa.kimpton@mcfc.co.uk