CLUB sponsors Aviva with the Canaries have developed a programme of 'Footy Finance' lessons for local schoolchildren through which they will learn about the relationship between money and the game.

Today around 20 young people aged 11 to 12 from Framingham Earl High School will be the first group to be asked to assume the role of the Board of Directors at Norwich City. They will be given a budget of £40million to spend on everything from the buying and selling of players, to making decisions about the website and marketing. 

Four other such days are planned aimed at helping youngsters in the area improve their financial awareness and budgeting skills. The sessions will link their financial work to football activities hosted by Football in the Community, with the children involved in the opening day getting a chance to meet Club Community Ambassador Jeremy Goss during this part of their experience.

Study Centre tutors from the Club will work alongside volunteer staff from Aviva to help and support the children. Deborah O'Malley, Community Affairs Manager at Aviva, said: "Through our sponsorship package with the football club we do a lot with the community and this is a scheme that we have been looking to develop for some time, in terms of how we can link Aviva and our values in terms of finance along with getting kids engaged with finance in an interesting way. We have found that the 'Footy Finance' programme seems to have really done that, it's been brilliant."

Pupils from Framingham Earl in Study
Centre for Footy Finances workshop

Jeremy Goss said: "Norwich City Football Club have joined together with our main Club sponsor Aviva to create this very special scheme. It's all about helping children with their numeracy skills. It seems sensible that a finance company joins together with a football company in terms of educating children in these skill sets. A lot of young people will benefit from this.

"They are having a great time by making numeracy skills and learning fun. We are linking it here with football at Carrow Park with the great staff that we have working at Football in the Community. It's a win-win situation for everybody."