GARETH SOUTHGATE and Emanuel Pogatetz swapped the football pitch for drama classes, cookery lessons, music therapy and needlework when they kicked off this year's Creating Chances campaign.

Boro manager Gareth and captain Manny undertook the challenges at the start of the Premier League's flagship good cause programme.

Creating Chances is designed to showcase the vast amount of work that Boro and the other 19 Barclays Premier League clubs do in their local communities.

The pair visited the Billingham base of Community Integrated Care (CIC), a national social care charity which provides care and support to more than 4,000 people across the UK.

CIC's Rievaulx Centre provides support, training and employment to 60 young people with learning difficulties.

Gareth and Manny's included taking part in activities including...

*A music therapy class where students use sound as a tool for communication.

*A drama class featuring a football-based theme.

*A cookery class, with students showing the Boro men how to cook an omelette and have fun.

*Sign language - with Gareth and Manny learning how to sign a song and sign their name.

*A lesson in how to stitch with the centre's needlework class.

*Card design in the art class.

CIC Chief Executive Phil Edgington said: "The Rievaulx Resource Centre provides an exceptional service to the Middlesbrough community and we are delighted the club has recognised this by selecting us as their main winner in the Creating Chances scheme.

"Many of the people who access the service are avid Boro fans and I am sure that they will be delighted to be sharing classes with two of their football heroes.

"The kind donation of £4,000 will have genuine life-changing benefits for hundreds of people in the North East and will equip carers with communications skills that will last them for a lifetime.

"We would like to thank Middlesbrough FC for their generosity and hope that Emanuel and Gareth enjoyed their visit."

CIC support individuals with learning difficulties, mental health concerns, older people in care homes, people affected by drug and alcohol addictions and homeless people.

Over the next three months, Boro players are making further Creating Chances community appearances in support of Middlesbrough's Multiple Sclerosis Centre and MFC in the Community's Enterprise Academy, Entry to Employment and Micro Soccer schemes.

Boro also chose to donate £4,000 to each of CIC, the Multiple Sclerosis Centre, the local branches of Samaritans and Guide Dogs for the Blind, plus Teesside charities, the Breakaway Children's Fund and the George Hardwick Foundation.