Four branch centres of the Lechia Gdańsk Football Academy, were established in Bytów, Starogard Gdański, Pruszcz Gdański and Ustka under the White and Green Future with LOTOS programme, which was launched on September 3rd last year. Another five centres are to open this year.   

The White and Green Future with LOTOS programme is a unique initiative that brings together Grupa LOTOS, a giant in the downstream sector and a leader in Europe, and Lechia Gdańsk, a football club that boasts great results in working with younger players.

Owing to the financial support offered by Grupa LOTOS, the entire Province of Gdańsk and the neighbouring areas will be covered by a professional training programme. The existing sports infrastructure (local sports clubs, municipal football facilities, football grounds) serves as a basis for establishing branch centres of the Lechia Gdańsk Football Academy. 

The centres are places where children aged seven to twelve can begin their bond with football. "What is great about the programme is that kids get to train in their home towns and villages. They don't have leave their families and stay at a dormitory. They receive best-quality coaching without going anywhere," says Tomasz Bocheński, president of the Lechia Gdańsk Football Academy.

This could be arranged because local coaches participated in a professional training programme that was based on Lechia Gdańsk's proven track record.

"The training that young people in small towns and villages received was not enough. We were short of funds to pay coaches for their work. The problem is gone now that Grupa LOTOS offered its support, and we can demand more of the coaches," explains Tomasz Bocheński.

The programme is part of the LOTOS Group Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy for 2012–2015 and serves to implement initiatives aimed at tackling inequalities in social development. In addition to searching for top talent, an objective behind it is to ensure that the largest possible group of youngsters from small towns and villages is offered the opportunity to grow healthy and play football as a hobby.

"We have sights set on reducing social inequalities and offering developmental opportunities to a wide group of children and teenagers, with a hope that in the future we will rejoice their successes on the national stadiums," says Jowita Twardowska, Communication & CSR Director at Grupa LOTOS.

The programme was officially launched on September 3rd 2012 in Bytów, when the first branch centre of the Lechia Gdańsk Football Academy was opened pursuant to an agreement with the U-2 club. The programme was joined by Starogard Gdański (Starogard Gdański Football Club) three weeks later, the Pruszcz Gdański commune on November 13th and Ustka (the Jantar Ustka club) on December 15th.

Another five centres are to open later this year.  Their number may increase as more than ten entry applications have been filed. 

"We expected a positive feedback among local communities when we were starting with the programme, but the amount of interest we received from children, young people and activitists in the branch centres was a pleasant surprise," comments Jowita Twardowska.

Before new centres open, coach coordinator Tomasz Borkowski and coach Robert Jędrzejczak with Lechia Gdańsk Football Academy will hold demonstration trainings at the existing ones. Furthermore, coaches working at the local branch centres, together with selected young players from Bytów, Ustka, Pruszcz Gdański and Starogard Gdański, will take part in trainings held at the Academy's headquarters in Gdańsk.
The most talented players will be entered in a scholarship programme and will receive a chance to play in the senior team and become football stars.

Communication Office, Grupa LOTOS S.A., ul. Elbląska 135, 80-718 Gdańsk, Poland, tel. (+48) 58 308 87 31, (+48) 58 308 83 88, e-mail: media@grupalotos.pl