The 2011 Sony European Graduate and Leadership Development Programmes involving Sony and streetfootballworld network members recently came to a successful close.
The European Graduate Programme paired streetfootballworld network members Altus Sport Vuma and Kick4Life with Sony European Graduates to work on a project of the network members’ choosing.
The Leadership Development Programme paired streetfootballworld network members KICKFAIR, Oltalom Sport Association, Slum Soccer and Soccer in the Streets with Sony senior managers in order to help them improve their leadership skills and creativity by partnering with a social enterprise.
Graduates collaborate for the EGP
Sony graduates gave Altus Sport Vuma the fundraising and marketing support it needs to create a ‘StreetDreams Sports Café’: refurbished truck containers that will be used as meeting and working spaces for Altus Sport Vuma’s young leaders in the township of Soshanguve in Pretoria, South Africa.
Meanwhile, Kick4Life worked with Sony staff on building relationships with tour providers and promoting its own K4L Tours as a form of sustainable tourism, with Development through Football as the focal point.
Leadership Development Programme
KICKFAIR’s aim was to improve its overall organisational development. The organisation came out of the experience with a business plan and a project management training session scheduled for the summer. The organisation also benefited through donations raised internally at Sony.
Oltalom Sport Association (OSA) worked to improve its overall organisational capacity and structure, with a focus on human resources. It also aimed to raise funds for their annual football tournament.
Slum Soccer was the beneficiary of a remarkable end product: an 8 minute-long 3-D film about Slum Soccer shot on location in Nagpur, where the organisation is based. The film brought Slum Soccer a great deal of publicity in the local media. The Sony managers also imparted advice on organisational development and financial sustainability.
Soccer in the Streets (SITS) and Sony focused on how to best approach potential corporate sponsors. A comprehensive marketing and business plan based on SITS’s new strategy helped the organisation to approach investors and partners. This translated into concrete benefits when SITS hosted a successful corporate fundraising event at the beginning of May.
Collaboration makes the difference
Perhaps the most important outcome for both programmes were the personal relationships that developed between Sony staff and the streetfootballworld network members.
“It was fantastic to see the passion of the client and see it become a part of our teamwork as the client’s vision inspired us,” noted one Sony graduate.
“We need passionate leaders like this in Sony as well!”
