Superstars of the football world like Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins organized a series of Fun Football and Happy Readers events across the United Kingdom over the Easter break. Every event featured personalized Fun Football coaching sessions for local youngsters, followed by a read-along of a Happy Readers library book titled Little People BIG DREAMS.
The invitation-only events highlighted the developmental advantages of reading and exercise for kids as well as McDonald’s continuous efforts to help families and communities in the UK and Ireland, which include the Happy Readers program’s distribution of over 10 million books and the provision of more than two million free Fun Football sessions each year.
Virgil van Dijk said, “Liverpool is a special place, and I love being able to give back to the community that supports us so passionately.” Like McDonald’s, I sincerely believe that kids should be allowed to play and learn. I’m here today because my family and I have strong feelings on this matter.
The football legends helped hand out thousands of books and footballs to the families who stopped by each location during the day. They also donated an extra 5,000 books to the local charities of their choice, which included Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, Skylarks in Birmingham, and Displaced People in Action in Cardiff.
On Sunday, Liverpool and Spurs will square off in a thrilling Premier League match.
“McDonald’s is assisting families by expanding their access to free books and coaching for Fun Football. Just today, we distributed over three thousand books to kids, and based on what I observed in the reading area and on the field, we might have some future authors and football stars on our hands.
“We want every child to be able to enjoy reading and football, no matter what their circumstances or background may be,” stated Michelle Graham-Clare, Chief Marketing Officer of McDonald’s UK and Ireland. Our two most essential projects, Happy Readers and Fun Football, will debut together in 2023. Our goal is to bring kids together who have different interests and demonstrate that they can enjoy sports and reading together. Families must have unfettered access to both, and we’re determined to make this happen. This year, we want to deliver even more entertaining Happy Readers and Fun Football events to communities across the United Kingdom.
“We’re excited to see McDonald’s fusing football and books for this incredible lineup of events,” National Literacy Trust Chief Executive Jonathan Douglas CBE remarked. The National Literacy Trust is aware of the significant influence a child’s love of sports may have on inspiring and motivating them to advance their literacy. This new study demonstrates that a child’s development and happiness don’t necessarily depend on reading and physical exercise. Seeing motivational sportsmen emphasize the advantages of reading while working out is inspiring.
Fun Football at McDonald’s (@FunFootballUK) / X