BMW scores a goal with Chinese youths

Some 100 young soccer players from remote areas in China kicked up their heels last week in Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning province, thanks to a program initiated by BMW.

Named after BMW Joy Home Football Tournament Summer Camp, the public welfare program was jointly established by China Charity Federation-BMW Warm Heart Fund and China Education Development Foundation, and has run for two consecutive years.

Children from 10 soccer teams came to the city of Shenyang and enjoyed this year's summer camp, which opened on July 22.

The budding players are all elementary school students different regions, including Liaoning, Shanxi, Yunnan, Hunan and Anhui provinces, as well as the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

During the weeklong summer camp, the children have not only entered professional soccer training and games, but also experienced colorful activities organized by BMW.

These consist of several classes, watching educational animated movies and visiting the Tiexi plant of BMW's Chinese joint venture BMW Brilliance Automotive Co.

What's worth mentioning is that the 10 soccer teams are all from the automaker's long-standing public welfare program - BMW Joy Home Children Care Program, which was launched in 2011 and focuses on left-behind and migrant children.

"Under the context of the national emphasis on paying attention to the physical and mental health of left-behind children, the China Charity Federation-BMW Warm Heart Fund innovates public welfare concepts and methods, which helps improve the mental health of the left-behind children and promote the development of the country's schoolyard soccer" said Hu Chuanmu, assistant to the president of the China Charity Federation.

He spoke at the opening ceremony of the 2019 BMW Joy Home Football Tournament Summer Camp on July 22, in Shenyang.

His words were echoed by Daniel Schaefer, senior vice-president of technology and manufacturing at BMW Brilliance Automotive Co.

He said that since its establishment eight years ago, the BMW Joy Home Children Care Program has joined hands with BMW dealers, car owners and people from all walks of life to contribute to caring for left-behind and migrant children.

As of now, the China Charity Federation-BMW Warm Heart Fund has set up 35 soccer teams in 23 provinces and autonomous regions across the country.

In the past two years, 39 soccer trainings were conducted at the BMW Joy Homes.

They collectively have a total teaching time exceeding 290 days and more than 1,300 children have benefited, according to the automaker.

"The education and guidance to children has the most prominent change and the most profound significance," said Yang Meihong, vice-president at BMW Brilliance Automotive Co.

"We believe that sports activities will not only help the children invigorate their physical health, but also help them develop good character, namely the awareness of team and the spirit of hard work," she said.

Joining hands with China Charity Federation and China Education Development Foundation, BMW has established 73 BMW Joy Homes across China since 2011.

This has involved some 10,000 warm-hearted BMW car owners, BMW dealers and BMW staff members.

A total of more than 80,000 left-behind and migrant children have benefited from the program, according to the automaker.

BMW is to pay further attention to the real needs of the society and create more shared values by engaging with its stakeholders, said vice-president Yang.

For instance, a handbook to guide children's sports with professional institutions that is sponsored by the China Charity Federation-BMW Warm Heart Fund will be released in the second half of this year.

It aims to provide free and technical sports guidance for social volunteers, teachers and public welfare institutions.