Sport for development

Manchester United stars speak out for children in UNICEF TV campaign

LONDON, 8 November 2004 - Manchester United soccer stars and their manager are speaking out for children in a new UNICEF TV campaign.

The 30-second video messages encourage members of the public to support UNICEF’s work on HIV/AIDS, child trafficking, child exploitation and girls education.

Among the many players starring in the public service announcements (PSAs) are team manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs, Mikael Silvestre, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Quinton Fortune and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"This type of support from the players as part of Manchester United's longstanding partnership with UNICEF is extremely valuable and effective. The issues that they highlight in their messages are priorities for UNICEF's work," says UNICEF Communication Officer Lara Schlotterbeck.

The PSAs will be distributed to UNICEF offices around the world. Two spots, recorded by Mikael  Silvestre and Cristiano Ronaldo, are spoken in their native tongue in order to broaden the appeal to French and Portuguese-speakers.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s message, on children affected by HIV/AIDS, was first shown at the International AIDS Conference in Thailand in July 2004. Mikael Silvestre’s message will be broadcast in Guinea at the Girls National Football tournament in December.

The United for UNICEF partnership, launched in 1999, has raised more than one million pounds for UNICEF’s work. In 2003 Manchester United renewed it's commitment to support UNICEF's campaign to End Child Exploitation for three years.

For further information about the PSAs or the United for UNICEF partnership please contact UNICEF’s Lara Schlotterbeck in London Tel: +44 20 7312 7677  or e mail her at laras@unicef.org.uk