The agreement follows from the hugely successful “United…The Business” programme which ran as a pilot earlier this year in Derry~Londonderry. During the 10-day programme secondary school pupils discover how Manchester United operates behind the scenes as a commercial business.

Pupils in Derry~Londonderry will learn business and entrepreneurial skills to increase their engagement in education and give them  greater confidence in their own abilities. At the forefront of the scheme is the Foyle Learning Community, which has a leading role in educational attainment in the city and reflects Ulster University’s commitment to opening doors to higher education. Ulster University aims to create shared spaces for education that can bring together communities while offering aspiration-raising engagement for young people. 

John Eades, Operations Director with the Manchester United Foundation said;
"The Foundation is proud to launch its first partnership outside of Greater Manchester with Ulster University. There’s been great enthusiasm from everyone involved but also, more importantly, we’ve seen from our pilot projects the lasting impact made on the lives of local young people. Over the next three years, we want to continue working closely with Ulster University to ensure we engage, inspire and unite as many young people across the Derry~Londonderry area as viable."

Dr Malachy Ó Néill, Provost of the Magee Campus at Ulster University said;
“At Ulster University , we pride ourselves on our strong links with local schools and strive to create  a welcoming environment on our campus for activities that benefit the local community.

Working together with Foyle Learning Community and the Manchester United Foundation, we aim to inspire students by fostering skills and self-belief that they will carry  with them throughout their education and future careers.”