Sport and social inclusion: the “Mediobanca Group Sport Camp” returns to the Beccaria institute for young offenders

It's become a tradition: for the past three years, in June the facilities of the 'Cesare Beccaria' institute for young offenders in Milan resound with cries of support and encouragement for the young people taking part in a week's worth of rugby, football and swimming competitions. It's like the Olympics, with sport providing the opportunity for universal values to be transmitted such as respect for the opposition, teamwork, playing by the rules, and the desire through passion and tenacity to achieve results.

These are the values which inspired the Mediobanca Group Sport Camp in the first place. A solidarity project realized in conjunction with the Milan City Council, the Sport Camp seeks to promote social inclusion by helping reintegrate underage offenders at the 'Cesare Beccaria' institute into society. This year the camp, which as previously is being run in collaboration with Italian rugby star Diego Dominguez and his staff, opened its doors on Monday and will end tomorrow, with around forty young people from the Institute aged between 16 and 21 taking part.

Setting the standard in the various competitions and the pool will be several stars from the world of sport. Leading by example, they will transmit sporting values as they guide the teams during the week's competitions. Yesterday Federico Morlacchi (four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Paralympics) was in the pool for the swimming contests; today Inter youth sector's coaches will be taking charge of the football tournament; while tomorrow there will be scrums and tackling with the CUS Milano Rugby team players.

'Like last year, the Group's staff were keen to take part personally in the Mediobanca Group Sport Camp', explained Giovanna Giusti del Giardino, Mediobanca Group Sustainability Manager. 'The values which drive the initiative, and the enthusiasm shown by all the young people taking part even despite the difficulties they find themselves in, have proved contagious. This third year of the Sport Camp is further testimony to the Mediobanca Group's commitment at all levels to support those most at risk of exclusion from society'.

'This is a highly commendable and important initiative', said Roberta Guaineri, Milan City Councillor for Sport. 'It's a step up in qualitative terms with regard to the knowledge and performance of sporting activities in disadvantaged situations, and promotes social inclusion and the reintegration of the young people in the institute through healthy physical activity, fun and sharing in the noblest values of sport'.

Milan, 27 June 2019