Standard Chartered ‘Go Forward’ enters Phase II

Standard Chartered’s ‘Go Forward’ initiative in partnership with Liverpool Football Club (LFC) to discover soccer talent and afford opportunities for financial literacy to inner city communities was launched in Sri Lanka in September 2012 at the Maligawatte Municipal Council Grounds.

Thirty boys between the ages of eight to 15 of promising talent were identified and selected from among 250 participants to advance to the next round. This group – the first Standard Chartered Go Forward team – receives special coaching every weekend to further improve their soccer skills, and the team were the Plate Champions at the recently concluded Josephian Futsal Carnival.

Their showing was highly creditable given that the Futsal was a truly national sporting event with more than 40 schools from all nine provinces participating. The main focus of the event was the grass root level search for talent, and as such a perfect showcase for the success of the Go Forward team and the raison d’etre of Standard Chartered’s initiative.

Colin Pawley, Head of Origination and Client Coverage Standard Chartered Bank, speaking at a ceremony held at the Bank to distribute football clothing to the Go Forward team said: “The bank’s ‘Go Forward’ initiative in Sri Lanka, will aim to reach out to 1,000 of Colombo’s inner city youth between the ages of eight to 15 years. Whilst popularising the game of football and identifying potential talent, we also seek to actualise our responsibility to empower and educate the youth on financial literacy. The youth are our future and an early understanding of the importance of financial management will provide an excellent guide as they grow up in the world to be responsible and contributing citizens.”

Standard Chartered is the sponsor of Liverpool Football Club since July 2010. Since becoming sponsors, the Bank has teamed up with LFC to raise awareness and funds for avoidable blindness and visual impairment – joining forces on everything from global soccer clinics to half time activities involving visually impaired young people – in addition to its collaboration on the ‘Go Forward’ initiative.