BORO's Tony McMahon has helped launch an exciting new football and fitness programme for children and their parents.

The young defender was at the Riverside Stadium to back the Future Goals scheme, a two-year partnership to engage with families in designated areas of Middlesbrough.

The project, which will operate out of school hours, will promote positive lifestyle messages as well as educational and career opportunities.

Boro's Football Community Project has set up Future Goals in partnership with Pertemps People Development Group, a Middlesbrough employment and training company.

Pertemps is funding the project with parallel support from Sportsmatch, the Government's business sponsorship incentive scheme for grassroots sport in England.

The programme complements the Heading for Health initiative funded by Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust.

A successful pilot scheme was undertaken before Christmas and the children and their parents who participated were at the launch to receive certificates and prizes from McMahon.

The children are continuing with the programme, including attending Middlesbrough Football Community Centre at Eston for evening and holiday programmes and ultimately developing teams to play in local leagues.

Parents will also be encouraged to attend similar sessions to improve their health and fitness.

Stephen Newham, Project Worker Co-ordinator for the programme, has been delighted with the response from the pilot scheme.

"The children have thoroughly enjoyed the programme, and this has been reflected in their attitude, behaviour and engagement throughout the sessions," he says. "The programme has given the children the opportunity to learn new social skills including interacting with others and how to be part of a team."

Sportsmatch's Robin Hodkinson added: "This is a great programme which will support young people in the surrounding area by effecting real change in their personal development."

Middlesbrough Football Community Project Manager Rob Lake said: "We are delighted to develop our relationship with Pertemps and to be supported by Sportsmatch is superb. This will allow the Community Project to do some fantastic work with local people which we all hope will give them a better future."

Pertemps spokesman Paul Wharton added: "Our hope is that this connection will instil in the communities in which we both work a kind of motivation through activity that previously they may not have been able to access.

"Our joint aim is to encourage local people to become involved, become more active and as a result more motivated to set and achieve their own goals."

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