Adidas and Stormzy have teamed up to launch a football centre for youths.
Built to give the community much-needed facilities including a brand-new sports hub, #MerkyFC HQ in Croydon, London, houses football pitches, a recording studio and a sports gaming hub.
Rapper Stormzy, 30, said: “I’m gassed that we can finally open the doors to #Merky FC HQ.
“Working with adidas, I’ve wanted to do this for a long, long time and now there’s a community space that everyone in the area will be able to use and benefit from.
“When I was growing up there was nothing like this around for young people, so it means a lot that we now have a facility like this in Croydon. Proper homegrown!”
Steve Marks, adidas’ senior director of brand communications, added: “We’re proud to launch #MerkyFC HQ the next chapter in adidas’ ongoing partnership with Stormzy.
“Supporting the development of spaces for the local community to connect, play and collaborate is a vital part of our ongoing drive to cultivate opportunities for young people.
“The centre is a space for everyone including those who enjoy taking part in football, but also for the discovery of other creative passions such as music and esports”
#MerkyFC HQ is built on the existing football site known as Selhurst Sports Arena, a space managed by Communities First Foundation, which aims to empower communities across London through access to sport, training and employment support.
Adidas’ investment will enable the charity to operate the multimedia rooms, changing spaces and a newly refurbished 3G pitch, enhancing facilities that were previously available to residents, and local groups.
Central to the Croydon-based #MerkyFC HQ’s purpose is the desire to increase opportunities for young people to connect in real life and explore their interests. Each bespoke space is engineered to encourage learning, playing and socialising.
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The venue will continue to host year-round events and educational activities, on and off pitch, providing vital access to training and development opportunities for young people in the local community and beyond.
The addition of the music studio will allow for a bolstered offering to aspiring local artists to record as well as a space for all other multimedia uses, including Podcasts and gaming events.
