Nestlé MILO and FC Barcelona recently announced plans to bring to life the four-year global partnership, aimed at enhancing the quality of life of children, with a series of initiatives to make healthy and more active lifestyles aspirational and accessible to children in Asia, Oceania, Africa and Latin America.
MILO currently reaches 22 million children each year through on-going grassroots sports programmes and, together with the global reach of FC Barcelona, targets to help millions more over the next four years.
Based on a shared vision to promote healthier lifestyles and the importance of physical activity among children, the programmes organised in this purpose-driven partnership are designed to inculcate healthy, active and value-based lifestyles for children especially at their foundation years of seven to 12 years old.
Starting from this year, MILO in partnership with FC Barcelona, will be scaling up and expanding its grassroots programmes which have proven to be a unique contributor to children’s physical activity and will leverage technology innovation and build strong synergies with FC Barcelona Escola (FC Barcelona Youth Academy) to help develop the next generation of football talent.
Over the next four years, children in Asia, Oceania, Africa and Latin America can also look forward to initiatives organised by Nestlé MILO and FC Barcelona such as:
- Opportunities to develop and enhance football skills through a football tournament that aims to reward both goals and teamwork and incorporates Tiki-Taka, a unique playing style of FC Barcelona involving short passes and movement.
- Opportunities to receive professional training from the world’s best football coaches where MILO will be selecting and sending kids to train at the legendary Camp Nou, home to FC Barcelona
- In areas where there is a paucity of playgrounds, equipment, or qualified coaching, MILO will be delivering a series of pop-up, mobile football fields delivered by the popular and well-loved MILO van to make recreation and play areas more accessible for kids.
Commenting, Patrice Bula, Executive Vice President, Nestlé SA said:
“As the world’s largest food manufacturer, Nestlé is committed to make a difference in the lives of children across the world. By educating young people about the importance of sport and physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle, we will build a better future for the next generation. Participating in sports and team activities is a great way for young people to learn the values of fairness, effort, respect and confidence. Building on these shared values, we are delighted to partner with FC Barcelona and develop a series of sports programmes with our well-known MILO brand, designed to encourage more young people to take part in sport and enjoy a balanced diet. With this partnership, we aim to make a difference to lives of millions of children across the world.”
The partnership between the world’s largest food manufacturer and leading Catalan football club was first announced in November 2016 at Camp Nou in Barcelona and MILO has also become the official tonic food drink of FC Barcelona. This is also the first time Nestlé has teamed up with a major football club.
Xavier Asensi, Managing Director Asia Pacific, FC Barcelona said:
“Teamwork is the key for our partnership, and FC Barcelona and Nestlé MILO are on the same team. Our values are complementary to Nestlé MILO’s and through the various programmes and activities over the next four years, we aim to educate children about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and the importance of exercise and physical activity as part of their growth. Like MILO, we believe that through sport, children will gain the necessary tools and essential values which will give them the best start and set them up well for their adult lives.”
According to Philomena Tan, Business Executive Officer – MILO, Nestlé (Malaysia) Berhad:
“We believe that sports is a great teacher of life values, and MILO has been committed towards nurturing a nation of young champions for over 60 years in Malaysia through developing grassroots sports. We have worked with great partners to champion initiatives like MILO Hidup Bola, MILO Champions Clinic and the MILO-MSSM Awards programme to nurture great talent from the start, and to provide more avenues for Malaysians to discover their love for sports. We are confident that this partnership with FC Barcelona will offer even more opportunities to grow our Malaysian sports talent and encourage values such as respect, effort and teamwork, whilst embracing the spirit to ‘Never Give Up’.”
For 150 years Nestlé has been working to enhance the quality of life and contribute to a healthier future, helping children to get the best start in life. MILO has also long been associated with physical activity and the brand has delivered youth sports programmes and nutrition projects for over 50 years which impact 22 million children each year. With the global partnership with FC Barcelona, MILO will be bringing the programmes beyond this 22 million to millions more over the next four years.
