Manchester City Football Club (MCFC) is leading a team of football clubs in a global initiative to harness the power of football to improve the lives of impoverished youngsters.

City Football Group– the marquee of football clubs including MCFC, new MLS franchise New York City FC and A-League side Melbourne City FC – has announced a £400,000 (US$591,698, €561,223) charitable investment as part of Cityzens Giving, a programme that allows fans to extend the ‘football effect’ to areas of need across the globe.

The money will help the youth led charity football projects in six cities to address a range of issues affecting young people, including tackling gang crime, HIV education and promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Funded from City Football Group’s 2013/14 annual revenue, the programme aims to improve the lives of more than 2,000 young people in disadvantaged communities through the power of football.

“City Football Group’s community commitment dates back to the founding of Manchester City FC as a means to address social deprivation in Manchester. Today, all City Football Group clubs and each of the regions we operate in have strong community programmes,” said Tom Pitchon, City Football Group’s Foundation director.

“Cityzens Giving puts our fans at the heart of this, by letting them decide how we fund community football programmes locally and worldwide. We are particularly pleased that these programmes extend to cities where we have no physical presence, but where these projects are making a real and positive difference.”

The funding will see more than 100 young leaders in six cities (Cape Town, Kuala Lumpur, Manchester, Melbourne, New York and Barranquilla) deliver programmes that will help more than 2,000 young people.

Jess Mortimer, spokesperson for Manchester’s project, Boots & Beats added: “We are hugely grateful for the support of City Football Group and that of their Cityzens.

“The funding provided will enable us to deliver a new programme that will promote positive change for young people here in Manchester. We are even more excited to be part of a global initiative that will connect us to other young people around the world.”