Manchester United has been working with UNICEF since 1999 through the 'United for UNICEF' partnership. The club has raised over £2 million for UNICEF programmes and has benefited over 1.5 million children worldwide. 

During the team's 2005 Asia Tour, Manchester United announced a four year extension of the partnership. The ensuing ten year public-private partnership is the longest collaboration between a football club and a global charity. Manchester United is taking part in UNICEF's 'Unite For Children, Unite Against Aids' campaign. In addition to funding HIV/AIDS programmes, the club will promote the campaign extensively at matches and in media publicity over the coming seasons. Players will record television, video and radio messages to reach millions of young people around the world with important messages about HIV/AIDS.

Ending exploitation

Between 2003-5, Manchester United raised money and awareness for UNICEF UK’s 'End Child Exploitation' campaign. The club supported UNICEF’s work with the government of China to combat the trafficking of women and children and comitted $400,000 to a pilot programme in Sichuan Province which aims to prevent trafficking, whilst rescuing and rehabilitating victims.

Manager and UNICEF Ambassador Sir Alex Ferguson and players including Ryan Giggs, Wes Brown and reserve team coach and former player Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have visited UNICEF child protection and HIV/AIDS projects in Asia and Africa. In 2006, Assistant Manager Carlos Queiroz took part in a television campaign and sports festival in his native Mozambique to promote UNICEF’s national polio and measles immunisation campaign. In July 2006, Ryan Giggs joined Sir Alex Ferguson and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to become a UNICEF Ambassador.

Back to school

Funds raised during the first three years of the partnership were used to support UNICEF education projects, including a major initiative in West Bengal, India, which has enabled over one million children in remote communities to attend primary school. A large proportion of this funding was raised through a benefit game that saw Manchester United take on the legendary Argentine club Boca Juniors at Old Trafford. The event drew a crowd of 53,000 and raised more than £500,000 for UNICEF.

The club's Chief Executive David Gill said: "Manchester United has a responsibility to the next generation and our partnership with UNICEF allows us to support the issues where we can be most effective."

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