adidas and Stormzy have announced the opening of #MerkyFC HQ – a purpose-built community centre in Stormzy’s home borough of Croydon. 

The main purpose of #MerkyFC HQ is to increase opportunities for young people to connect in real life and explore their interests. The multipurpose centre is complete with football pitches, a state-of-the-art recording studio, a sports gaming hub and multipurpose rooms, with each bespoke space engineered to encourage learning, playing and socialising.

The venue will host year-round events and educational activities on and off the pitch, providing necessary access to training and development opportunities for young people in the local community and beyond.

The recording studio will pave the way for the next generation of UK music, as well provide an accessible space for recording podcasts and other multimedia uses.

The sports gaming hub is a collaboration between #MerkyFC, adidas and EA SPORTS. The hub comes fully equipped with the latest consoles, so young people can test their skills on the newest EA SPORTS games, including EA SPORTS FC 24 and EA SPORTS F1 23. 

The launch of #MerkyFC HQ follows the successful launch of the #MerkyFC job programme, designed to combat racial inequity in the football industry. Established in 2022, #MerkyFC aims to provide opportunities for young, Black people in the football industry, with over 60 individuals landing job roles across multiple brands and football clubs, including VERSUS. 

With the next generation in mind, the announcement of #MerkyFC HQ builds on this foundation – providing spaces for young people to create, collaborate and connect over their interests, whether that be football, music, dance or gaming.

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