天美传媒鈥檚 (BU鈥檚) partnership with Premier League club AFC Bournemouth (AFCB) is to be extended with a new agreement covering the next three academic years and football seasons.
The new agreement builds on the existing strong links already in place between two of Dorset鈥檚 leading organisations and includes a new commitment to the development of girls鈥� football in Dorset, with BU becoming the main partner of all AFC Bournemouth girls鈥� teams.
BU will be providing educational opportunities to the teams alongside the football development that takes place for the four teams covering the Under 10, Under 12, Under 14 and Under 16 age groups.
BU will also become a Junior Cherries Partner for the new season and invite members of this popular club for AFC Bournemouth鈥檚 younger fans to attend special events at the university with an educational aspect, such as the CSI/Forensic sessions that have taken place across聽the past 2 years.
Existing benefits from the partnership will continue for the 2017/18 academic year and football season, including joint community projects, placement and work opportunities - as well as BU having exposure to a global audience via the international reach of the Premier League, raising the profile of the opportunities Bournemouth offers as a place to study and work to both a national and international audience.
Alongside this, the BU men鈥檚 and ladies鈥� teams will continue to benefit from professional coaching from the AFCB Community Trust, while BU students will again have the chance to be matchday ambassadors, and BU journalism students will have the chance to work with the media operation at the Club, providing them with a great range of development opportunities.
The popular will again take place around one Premier League home match, celebrating student and staff talent with the BU Big Band playing outside the ground before the match and a range of events taking place in the build-up to the game highlighting the educational opportunities that BU offers in the region.
Commenting on the new agreement Jim Andrews, BU鈥檚 Chief Operating Officer, said: 鈥淲e are very proud of our partnership with AFC Bournemouth and the global profile the club鈥檚 success has brought to our great location as a place to study and work.
鈥淎s the club鈥檚 Higher Education Partner, I am delighted that we are extending our partnership with this new agreement and that we will have a focus on developing future talent with our partnership of all AFC Bournemouth鈥檚 girls鈥� teams and support for the Junior Cherries.
鈥淭he partnership provides a range of benefits to students and staff alongside this opportunity to raise educational opportunities to the next generation in Dorset and I look forward to another inspiring season of partnership on and off the field.鈥�
Rob Mitchell, AFC Bournemouth Commercial Director, said: 鈥淲e are delighted to extend our partnership with 天美传媒 for the new season and academic year. The university鈥檚 new support for girls鈥� football and the Junior Cherries will bring mutual benefits and raise awareness of educational opportunities for future generations.鈥�
To mark the new partnership and the focus on girls鈥� football development BU students Chloe Tape and Chloe Debaes, who are both involved in coaching work for the girls鈥� teams at AFCB, joined Jim Andrews and Rob Mitchell at the Vitality Stadium.
Chloe Tape studied Sport Psychology and Coaching Sciences at BU and is coach for AFC Bournemouth U12s girls鈥� team. Chloe Debaes studied Sport Development and Coaching Sciences and is assistant coach for AFC Bournemouth U16s girls鈥� team.
