Sport and social inclusion: Mediobanca, Municipality of Milano and Cus Milano come together again

New Rugby Pitch inaugurated in via Padova - The TOGETHER/INSIEME project initiatives continue, with the aim of involving more than 1,500 young people from suburbs of Milan in three years

A year since the new rugby and volleyball pitches were opened at the Sant’Agnese parish oratory in the Quarto Oggiaro area of Milan, another milestone has been reached in the TOGETHER/INSIEME  project, with the inauguration of a new rugby pitch in Via Cambini in the Via Padova area. A large area of parkland has been completely redeveloped, and new facilities built. Already weekly training sessions are being held there for around 120 young people, with high female participation levels (around 30% of those taking part are girls).

Involving the local youth in sports activities is the objective of TOGETHER/INSIEME, a Mediobanca Group project devised in conjunction with the municipality of Milan and CUS Milano Rugby to promote sport as a driver for social inclusion among young people in the weakest areas of society at risk of exclusion.

It is CUS Milano Rugby, the local rugby association which will be responsible for running activities at the new Via Cambini rugby pitch inaugurated today, with Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala and the Mediobanca Group Chief Executive Officer Alberto Nagel in attendance Here, a team of educators and qualified technical staff under the co-ordination of former Italian national rugby star Diego Dominguez, work daily to pass on the basic values of sport to these young people.

Many special initiatives have taken place: in April and May four events have been held in which four different schools in the area have participated, with more than a thousand students having an opportunity to try their hand at a variety of sports including rugby, grass volleyball and even dodgeball.

Two years ago we devised TOGETHER/INSIEME because we believe in the importance of sport and its values to promote social inclusion among young people”, commented the Chief Executive Officer of Mediobanca, Alberto Nagel. “Having started the project and seen it grow, it gives us great pride to be able to contribute to developing these facilities and providing these young people with an opportunity to socialize by playing sport together. This initiative is further proof of Mediobanca’s commitment to stand alongside the new generations, especially those facing challenges, with the aim of building a more solid, aware community TOGETHER.”

"Today is a day to celebrate”, said the Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala. “It’s a day to celebrate for the youth of this area, who’ll be able to come and play sport here; and it’s a day to celebrate for all Milanese people, because thanks to TOGETHER/INSIEME they now have a new place to meet and socialize. Investing in sports facilities, especially in areas that often face various challenges, is a tangible sign of confidence in our youth, a way of encouraging them to believe in their own potential, starting from the values of loyalty and fair play that sport is able to teach them. I should therefore like to thank Mediobanca, CUS Milano Rugby and all those involved in developing this initiative: co-operation between associations, sports clubs and companies is fundamental in order to give the new generations and the city a future".

 

Milan, 22 May 2019