Manchester City legend Joleon Lescott recently surprised the winning project of this year’s Water Champions campaign in Tacloban City, Philippines.
Developed by Manchester City and the club’s Official Water Technology Partner, Xylem, the Water Champions Project has successfully united communities around the world for a number of years, using the power of volunteering and football to inspire positive change.
This year’s campaign saw 10 youth-led community football projects across the world address local water issues, with each city receiving seed funding and training from Manchester City and Xylem, enabling the projects to deliver vital education on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), using fun football-based games.
Tacloban City in the Philippines was selected as the winner of this season’s campaign, recognising the Young Leaders’ innovation, as well as their commitment to water education and community action.
Joleon Lescott said: “It has been amazing to be out here in Tacloban City and to see this project close-up. The impact these Young Leaders are creating through their football and water education programme is so inspiring and goes to show the power that football has to uplift communities across the world.”
Emma Housman, director of social impact at Xylem, added: "The Young Leaders in Tacloban City have demonstrated incredible passion and commitment to tackling local water challenges through education and community action. At Xylem, we are proud to support this initiative, which showcases the power of football to drive meaningful change. Seeing their impact firsthand reinforces our belief that, together, we can create a more sustainable and water-secure future."
All 10 cities involved in this year’s campaign will be holding World Water Day volunteer events across the world, to find out more visit - https://www.mancity.com/xylem-water-champions-2025
Manchester City legend visit Xylem successful water project
