Ħamrun Ħanin teams up with YFA and National Literacy Agency to launch Goal for Literacy Project

Installation of mini libraries seeks to encourage reading among Malta’s football academies

Ħamrun Ħanin has launched the Goal for Literacy project in collaboration with the Youth Football Association and the National Literacy Agency with the objective of encouraging reading among Malta’s budding young sporting talents. This initiative will see the distribution of mini-libraries and Maltese and English language books to football nurseries across Malta and Gozo, encouraging young footballers—and their families—to engage in reading while at the island’s many football nurseries and academies.

While the libraries were sourced by funding acquired through the Community Development and Innovation Scheme, administered by the Parliamentary Secretariat for Youth, Research & Innovation, the books were provided by the National Literacy Agency (Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation). This innovative project will kick off with a pilot phase in ten football nurseries before being expanded to all interested nurseries.

Ian Debattista, Chairman of Ħamrun Ħanin, highlighted the club’s commitment to using football as a platform for positive social impact. “Sports and education go hand in hand. While football encourages and promotes discipline and teamwork, reading fosters creativity and knowledge. Through Goal for Literacy, we want to give young players—and their relatives who often spend long hours accompanying them for training—the opportunity to benefit from both. Although we could have used the funds exclusively our own initiatives, we felt it was important to share them with nurseries across Malta and Gozo, ensuring this project reaches as many young people as possible.”

Joseph Cassar, Vice President of the YFA added: “The Youth FA has in the last four years intensified its corporate social responsibility element with the creation of ‘Live it with Love’ campaign based on Fr Hilary’s philosophy towards football and sports in general. In fact, the YFA has diversified its football component extending into different social support aimed towards the nurseries and their affiliated members. Today’s launch will see the YFA joining up with Ħamrun Hanin and the National Literacy Agency in order to provide the nurseries members the opportunity of expanding and promoting the importance of reading amongst the younger generation without the need of going to Public Libraries but getting the books readily available within the nurseries’ communities for young players to loan books from the nursery library before or after their training session.”

The event also featured an address by National Literacy Agency Chairman, Prof. Charles L. Mifsud, who expressed strong support for the initiative. He emphasised the Agency’s ongoing commitment to fostering a culture of reading and literacy, particularly among young sports enthusiasts. Prof. Mifsud highlighted the vital role that literacy plays in personal development and future success, stressing that initiatives like these not only promote reading but also help young people recognise how literacy can enhance their lives both on and off the field.

David Muscat, the CEO of the National Literacy Agency said: ‘’The National Literacy Agency will be playing an integral part in the ‘Goal for Literacy’ initiative by donating one hundred high-quality books in Maltese and English, to all participating football nurseries. The Agency has been striving to bridge the gap between football and literacy since 2017 through ‘The Footballers Read and Write Programme’ that promotes the development of pupils’ language and literacy skills via football related activities.’’ The press launch of the event was also addressed by former Malta football great Carmel Busuttil, who today serves as the Grassroots Headcoach at the Hamrun Spartans Football Club School of Excellence and who is also a Footballers Read and Write Programme Leader and reading ambassador.