MFC's Creating Chances campaign kicked off last week as Boro manager Gareth Southgate and his chosen captain Emanuel Pogatetz visited CIC's Rievaulx Resource Centre in Billingham.
On arrival, the Boro stars were treated to a performance from the centre's students, which involved dancing, bouncing balls and even a rap to a variety of music including Pig Bag.
Being the wallflowers that they are, both Southgate and Pogi jumped on stage to join in and were equally happy to show off their 'keepy uppey' skills to the delight of the students and staff.
The Rievalux Centre is the Billingham base of Community Integrated Care (CIC), a national social care charity that provides care and support to over 4000 people across the UK.
CIC support individuals with learning difficulties, mental health concerns, older people in care homes, people affected by drug and alcohol addictions and homeless people.
CIC Chief Executive Phil Edgington, said: "The Rievaulx Resource Centre provides an exceptional service to the Middlesbrough community and we are delighted the club has recognised this by selecting us as their main winner in the Creating Chances scheme.
"Many of the people who access the service are avid Boro fans and I am sure that they will be delighted to be sharing classes with two of their football heroes.
"The kind donation of £4000 will have genuine life changing benefits for hundreds of people in the North East and will equip carers with communications skills that will last them for a lifetime.
"We would like to thank Middlesbrough FC for their generosity and hope that Emanuel and Gareth enjoy their visit."
The centre itself provides support, training and employment to sixty young people with learning difficulties.
As the centre caters for a range of learning difficulties, one of the techniques used by the staff is to encourage the students to communicate through music.
Pogi and Southgate were lead into a sensory room and handed a tambourine each as the students used a variety of instruments to communicate their joy at seeing their special visitors.
Pogi attempted to play Metallica on his tambourine - a man of many talents is Manny! - whilst Southgate tried to get to grips with the technique.
Next up was cookery class, where Gareth and Pogi were asked to each create an omelette using onions, ham and salad. The cookery class is part of the centre's training to help students move out of assisted living and learn to live independently if they so choose.
Tracey Russell, Project Manager, said: "We work with school leavers, aged nineteen plus.
"Students live at home or in assisted living and we can help if they want to move into independent living, get jobs etc. The cooking is part of that. The student goes to the shop with a staff member to buy ingredients, prepare the food, cook it and then washes up, so they do it from start to finish."
Once again there was a touch of one-up-manship going on as manager and captain took up their tools and engaged in what can only be described as a cook-off.
Southgate declared himself the winner, giving himself "an eight, maybe even an eight and a half" for his omelette making efforts and refused to touch his captain's creation as Pogi's presentation left little to be desired.
They both posed for photos and signed shirts and autographs for the students before it was time to move on to a short question and answer session with the newsletter group.
Pogi was asked who his best friend at the club was and answered: "Robert [Huth] is one of my friends outside the field. He is the only one who can understand my German!"
Gareth explained to the group that he looks forward to playing the 'big teams' as we usually do quite well against them and Pogi talked about playing football in his garden, in his home town in Austria, with his father.
Moving on to a sign language session, Gareth and Pogi learned their sign names which are based on something you enjoy or something that describes your personality. Pogi, interestingly chose basketball.
Having got a tenuous grip on the basics, the boys joined in with signing some songs, "Row Row Row Your Boat" and "The Rainbow Song" being particular favourites with the students.
Then it was time to pop in on an art class where Southgate signed some art work which the centre are hoping to auction.
Stopping by the sewing class, Gareth was told that as manager he was not supposed to make mistakes and joked, "The manager makes all the mistakes, believe me!".
With their visit almost at an end, Southgate and Pogi still had time to team up with a couple of students for a quick game of pool. Southgate proved he knows his way around a pool cue but Pogi was somewhat rusty and MFC's Dave Allan cheekily asked him if they had pool tables in Austria.
Pogi told us: "I enjoy these visits, lots of fans and just to see the smiles, to make these people smile.
"It is nice because there are more important things than football and especially when it isn't going well, it is good to do different things.
"If we get the opportunity to do these visits, I'm very happy to do them.
Tracey Russell, Project Manager of the centre, said: "The day was brilliant, it gave the students something to look forward to. They were excited since we told them, it's been really good for them.
"For the centre, it's letting people in the area know that we are here and what we do, it is great promotion for the centre.
Over the next three months, Boro players will be making further Creating Chances community appearances in support of Middlesbrough's Multiple Sclerosis Centre and MFC in the Community's Enterprise Academy, Entry to Employment and Micro Soccer schemes.
In addition MFC have donated £4000 to each of CIC, the Multiple Sclerosis Centre, the local branches of Samaritans and Guide Dogs for the Blind, plus Teesside charities, the Breakaway Children's Fund and the George Hardwick Foundation.
First published on www.ComeOnBoro.com on 29-9-08
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