United for Unicef

Since its establishment in 1999 United for UNICEF, the international charity partnership between Manchester United and UNICEF, has had a positive impact on the lives of over 1.5 million children in countries across the globe, including China, India, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, South Africa, Mozambique, Afghanistan and Iraq.  The projects supported have included work with children affected by emergencies like the Tsunami and those living in poverty, often with no access to education and at risk from exploitation. Since October 2005, the club has supported UNICEF’s global campaign on children & AIDS, ‘Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS’. In addition to the continuing support of the club Sir Alex Ferguson, Ryan Giggs and Ole Solskjaer are ambassadors for the charity.

Throughout the year the club works with UNICEF to host a variety of events and fundraising initiatives to raise money to help children all over the world, the highlight of these being the United for UNICEF gala dinner hosted by Sir Alex Ferguson. In 2007 the event raised in excess of £100,000 for the partnership.

In the Summer of 2007 during the clubs preseason tour of South Africa, United players Ryan Giggs, Danny Simpson and former players Mikael Silvestre and Chris Eagles visited UNICEF supported projects in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

As the partnership enters it’s tenth year the relationship goes from strength to strength and exciting plans are already being drawn up to celebrate the longest running and most successful charity / football partnership in world football.