This month, CITC sat down with Ciara, whose journey first started on the Premier League City Inspires programme when she was in year nine at secondary school.
Her pathway then continued into further education on the City BTEC programme, where CITC continue to support her future.
In school, Ciara faced issues with confidence and making friends, which meant that she struggled in the school environment.
However, with the help of the CITC sessions and coaches, she overcame the obstacles she faced regarding her self-esteem and became much more confident both in the classroom and with her peers.
We first spoke with Ciara back in May 2025, where she reflected on her time on the Inspires course, speaking about how it has made her more resilient, she said: “Before starting the Inspires programme, I was very shy, and I didn’t like social things.
“I think my school experience without City in the Community would have been a lot harder, and they really gave me the help I needed.
“They pushed me through things I found difficult and made me the person I am today.”
VIEW CIARA’S ORIGINAL CITC STORY
After completing her time at high school, Ciara joined the City BTEC course at Oldham College, with the aim to become a community coach, so she could provide others with the same support she received while on City Inspires.
CITC caught up with Ciara on how the charity has continued to support her with her future aspirations whilst on the City BTEC course.
Since September, Ciara’s confidence has developed even further.
Describing how the CITC coaches are helping her develop into a coach and mentor she said: “Looking around, seeing all these confident, bubbly, people, I’ve always wanted to be one of them.
“And City in the Community has really helped me open up and become that person.”
City BTEC is a two-year education programme which sees dedicated coaches deliver a holistic education of football, supporting participants develop their skills and abilities, as well as receiving a classroom- based education.
Over the duration of the course, participants will gain a range qualification. The programme is currently delivered at:
Ashton Sixth Form College- BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport.
Connell College -Sports Coaching and Development BTEC Sport & Exercise Science.
Oldham College -BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport and Level 2 Sports.
During the 2024/2025 season, the programme supported 198 unique participants, helping them gain 70 qualifications collectively.
To find out more about the City BTEC course here: mancity.com/btec
If you are in year 10 or 11, and are interested in joining the course, register your interest for our taster days taking place over half term: https://bit.ly/41JHG3A
If you want to support CITC, enter this month’s Prize Draw competition, for the chance to win.
ENTER THE CITC MONTHLY PRIZE DRAW
The City in the Community Prize Draw is powered by Raise Your Game and your support will go towards sustaining the charity’s programmes, which empower healthier lives through football.
Entries start at £5 per ticket; fans can enter on a one-off basis, or they can sign up to a direct debit, meaning they enter the draw monthly automatically. *
City in the Community empowers healthier lives through football.
To find out more, visit www.mancity.com/citc or follow @citcmancity on social media.
*Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, Qatar, Lebanon, and North Korea are the only excluded countries from the prize draw.
