AC MILAN AND BANCO BPM WORK TOGETHER ON A NEW PROJECT AIMED AT YOUNG PEOPLE

The "All the Colours of Sport" initiative, promoted by AC Milan in collaboration with Banco BPM and Vita, forms an integral part of the RESPACT programme, launched by the Club to promote equality, fairness and inclusivity. The project is formed of a series of events that will see the involvement of Italian schools and several community networks, fundamental places where discussion of opportunity and values must be promoted. 

The objective of "All the Colours of Sport" is to inspire the next generation to foster dialogue and reflection through the sharing of experience with representatives of AC Milan, who are always committed to the value of education in sport. 

Yesterday it fell on students from fifteen classes at IIS Olga Fiorini - Marco Pantani, a secondary school in Busto Arsizio, to take part. Around 150 students had the chance, along with a group of young men from company Exodus interviewed alongside them, to talk face to face with AC Milan women's attacker, Valentina Bergamaschi, and Assistant Coach, Davide Cordone. During the meeting, the Rossonere discussed with the students and also Marco Aldeghi - Managing Director for Milan and North Lombardy of Banco BPM - issues linked to gender equality and the difficulties that athletes face on the long road to the top.

The initiative will continue for the whole school year. In October, the first of a new series of meetings dedicated to discussion on issues of diversity, tolerance and inclusion with secondary school students in Italy will take place. 

Sara Ciapparella, in charge of the Marco Pantani Institute for Professional Sport, said: "Our Institute, which has been involved for more than 15 years in projects educating young students and athletes, finds a lot of synergy with what this Association stands for, in terms of respecting oneself and others and promoting equality, solidarity and charitable spirit. We approach these themes with young people through sport, a great vehicle to disseminate good values, when understood and applied properly."

Martino Roghi, AC Milan’s CSR & Sustainability Manager, added: "The key players in this are the young people: we are proud to be able to contribute to the debate set-out by teachers that marries up with the fundamental values that AC Milan delivers through its RESPACT program. We hope that our players’ testimonies can contribute - to give the students a grasp of sensitivity, respect and inclusion. We are delighted to have our friends at Vita and Banco BPM alongside us in this, as they share our same values and methods"

Marco Aldeghi, Managing Director for Milan and North Lombardy of Banco BPM, stated: "We are proud to be able to join AC Milan in this project that promotes inclusivity, culture and awareness of the need for gender equality in schools. Making young people sensitive to these issues today means that we will have more aware adults tomorrow. Banco BPM, committed to an ambitious path to sustainability, strongly believes that these initiatives can succeed in delivering education, respect and inclusion."