Why Marcus Rashford is great

Why is Marcus Rashford is great? For those readers who don’t know who he is, Marcus Rashford is a young man who has galvanised a nation to support his campaign for free school meals in the holidays. As we speak, the Government are still refusing to provide free school meals for children when schools are closed.

For anyone who doesn’t know who Marcus Rashford is, Rashford is a star footballer with Manchester United and England. He is 22 years of age and has been an activist and spokesperson for homelessness and child poverty. He has influenced societal change with the attitudes towards these challenges. As a 22 year old, he has shown maturity and credibility that is remarkable. And this is why I have decided to write a tribute as to why Marcus Rashford is great.

Role model: he is a credible role model for many people. As an England and Manchester United footballer, he already has a high profile. But focusing on his campaigns has meant that he is particularly seen as a positive role model to football fans and young people.

Trustworthy: Rashford is very trustworthy. The language he uses is very credible and true. There are no hidden agenda with his campaigning. Financially he doesn’t gain from this; and he is already independently wealthy, but he genuinely believes in helping people who don’t have the voice to campaign, due to their position.

Ask: Rashford does ask: he asks the general public to support his campaigns by lobbying MPs; he asks the Government to support children in poverty by funding free school lunches. He asked people to donate food to the ‘In the Box’ campaign, for homeless and impoverished people at Christmas. He does this in a respectful way, without being aggressive or rude. This changes people. His Twitter account is a masterclass in using positive, empowering language to engage people to take action. He never preaches; he leads by example.

Credible: with many of his campaigns, he is personally involved in distributing food or talking to those suffering. This is not a publicity stunt (your average PR company would love to have him as a client!) He walks the talk and gets people talking about these issues as well as demonstrating in person, how we can all help.

Action orientated: there is no doubt Rashford is an action person! As I’ve mentioned before, he walks the talk; he doesn’t exclusively talk about issues, he gets on and asks for help and support. This is so genuine and with no hidden agenda in his actions. It is truly incredible.

And let’s remember, Marcus Rashford is only 22 years of age. He is a very high profile footballer who could be spending his time focusing exclusively on sport and looking after himself. But NO; some of his time is spent volunteering and campaigning for a better life for others. This is remarkable.

Rashford has shown remarkable leadership skills. No longer are leaders telling people what to do; they engage and connect with others whilst sharing their vision. If you would like to discuss me working with you on your leadership communication skills, please contact me.