A new football field for the community: a gift from the Milan, Snaitech and costruiamo il futuro Foundations to the youth of Baggio
The three entities have decided to join forces to launch the “In gioco per il Futuro” project, providing the Oratorio della Madonna dei Poveri with a renovated and safe sports area
The project was presented on National Sports Day, with the participation of AC Milan’s Honorary Vice President and Fondazione Milan’s Ambassador Franco Baresi
Milan, 3 June 2024 – A new seven-a-side football field, ensuring safe fun and accessibility for everyone. Through the “In gioco per il Futuro” project, the joint effort of Fondazione Milan, Fondazione Snaitech, and Fondazione Costruiamo il Futuro has led to the creation of a new space dedicated to sports, aimed at enhancing a central and densely populated area in the western outskirts of Milan. It will be located in Baggio, a neighbourhood with around 30,000 residents, specifically within a crucial social hub of the area, the Oratorio della Madonna dei Poveri. This venue serves a community of nearly 10,000 people, developing activities focused on socialisation, leisure, and personal growth.
To continue supporting this virtuous path, it is necessary to rely on adequate facilities that ensure full compliance with the most stringent safety standards to meet the many usage requests from the community, such as those from the San Domenico Savio sports association, which involves hundreds of children and teenagers every year. Moreover, the field is often utilised for cultural events, festivals, open-air concerts, and charity initiatives, which help to strengthen the sense of community and further enhance the aggregative role played by the Oratorio.
To avoid risking the loss of this valuable asset for meeting and sharing opportunities, the three Foundations have decided to join forces to proceed with the demolition of the old structure, while simultaneously committing to the creation of a new, modern, and functional synthetic grass field. The new field will also feature an upgraded fencing system to protect it and make it safer. The work will begin over the summer to provide the community with the new space as soon as possible.
The comprehensive development plan was presented last night, during National Sports Day, at a meeting held at the Oratorio della Madonna dei Poveri, on the site of the football field which is now being decommissioned. Representatives from the three Foundations, including the Honorary Vice President of AC Milan and Ambassador of Fondazione Milan, Franco Baresi, and the President of the Costruiamo il Futuro Foundation, Maurizio Lupi, detailed this initiative.
“I am happy to represent the Rossoneri family for this occasion,” stated Franco Baresi, Honorary Vice President of AC Milan and Ambassador of Fondazione Milan, “which is a virtuous example of collaboration between three entities that share the same goal: to provide new spaces for social interaction and sports to the city and its youth. The site we are on is the sixth space regenerated by Fondazione Milan in Milan through the project ‘Assist – Mission Playground’, demonstrating a continuous commitment to the local community”.
“With Fondazione Snaitech, we are committed to promoting CSR initiatives, particularly through sports as a tool for inclusion and social recognition, as well as pure entertainment. With this project, which fully represents our commitment, we want to take a further step in making a concrete contribution to an important reality in the Milan area,” said Fabio Schiavolin, Vice President of Fondazione Snaitech. “The renovation of the football field at the Oratorio Madonna dei Poveri represents a precious opportunity to truly make a difference for our communities, and we are proud to share it with highly valued partners such as Fondazione Milan and Fondazione Costruiamo il Futuro.”
“Inclusivity, solidarity, integration: sport is a powerful accelerator of the intensity and speed with which certain values, which Fondazione Costruiamo il Futuro has been promoting strongly since its inception, can spread within communities and among people,” emphasized Maurizio Lupi, President of Fondazione Costruiamo il Futuro. “For this reason, we decided to create a project, together with the fundamental contributions of the Milan and Snaitech Foundations, that allows many boys and girls to continue sharing moments of leisure and growth through a wonderful game like football. The choice of Baggio is not accidental. In an important city like Milan, every single neighborhood must be considered central and receive the highest level of attention and care. ‘In Gioco per il Futuro’ is one of our ways of putting the peripheries at the center in a concrete way.”
