The Soccerwise programme was officially launched at the Soccerex 1999 Global Exhibition in Los Angeles, as part of the USA 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Youth Charter Scroll was signed and endorsed by the former Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger and former England manager Roy Hodgson in 1998 at the FIFA World Cup in France. The Soccerwise programme was also endorsed at the Soccerex Global Exhibition as part of the World Cup by FIFA President Sepp Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini.

In 2000, the Youth Charter became a United Nations accredited Non-Governmental Organisation and attended the UNICEF Pre Millennium Forum NGO Conference on the Global Partnership for Children. As a result, the Youth Charter Soccerwise Education Pack was produced and a Soccerwise programme was delivered with 20 schools in Greater Manchester in partnership with UNICEF, Manchester United FC and Barclaycard Free Kicks in 2003, with Sir Alex Ferguson presenting special achievement awards at Burnage High School. This programme was also presented at the YC UN sponsored workshop at the 55th Annual DPI/NGO Conference, as part of the Youth Charter 10th anniversary global activity in 2003.

The Soccerwise programme has also been delivered in the UK and around the world, most notably as part of the Youth Charter’s Anglo-South Africa Sports Initiative, from 1993 through to and beyond the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup, with this legacy work still being delivered.

The Youth Charter ‘21’ Soccerwise Report was launched at the Manchester SoccerexGlobal Conferences in 2014. The Soccerwise Report discusses the Social Impact ofthe Beautiful Game in the UK and around the world, and the challenges and opportunities for the world’s most popular sport in the 21st Century.

Ten years later, the Youth Charter AFCON Soccerwise Report was launched at the African Sports Unified Connex Summit 2024 in London. The report reflects a 30-year journey in the role of football and its social, cultural and economic impact in the lives of young people and communities from areas of historical deprivation and disadvantage.

The Youth Charter’s Soccerwise programme has inspired the following projects and programmes:

• Manchester United Foundation

• United for UNICEF (1999)

• Playing for Success (2004)

• FIFA Football for Hope (2005)

• UNICEF Socceraid (2006)

• Premier League Kickz (2007)

• Team UNICEF (2014)

• Premier League Primary Stars (2017)

Please also see:

• Soccerwise: Moss Side Amateur Reserves