Refugees Celebrated During Football Welcomes Month
- St George’s Park played host to a football tournament for refugees and people seeking asylum
- Leicester City in the Community were joined by counterparts from Aston Villa, Everton and Stoke City
- Clubs celebrate the achievements and contributions of refugees and people seeking asylum during Football Welcomes Month
- Leicester City’s charitable arm delivers sessions enabling refugees and people seeking asylum sanctuary in Leicester
Leicester City’s charitable arm – Leicester City in the Community - hosted a football competition for refugees and people seeking asylum as part of Football Welcomes Month celebrations.
Held at England’s St George’s Park, Leicester City in the Community were joined by Aston Villa, Everton and Stoke City in a tournament won by Leicester City of Sanctuary.
This April, football clubs across the country are celebrating the achievements and contributions of refugees and people seeking asylum to communities across the United Kingdom. Sabir, a participant on the project, was thrilled to be involved in the tournament and with Leicester City in the Community.
He commented: “It is brilliant, we have met so many people from other cities, so I enjoyed it. To be able to do the Monday (Leicester City in the Community) session and have the coaches come each week on time and give us as many chances to play – it’s brilliant!
“We meet people that come from different countries; we will then introduce them to everyone and it’s a kind of love to play football together.”
Leicester City in the Community deliver the Football Welcomes Community Project in partnership with Leicester refugee support charities After18 and Leicester City of Sanctuary. Funded by Amnesty International UK, they work with the charities to ensure participants can adapt to life in Leicester.
Bilal Hussain, Football Welcomes Project Manager at Amnesty International UK, commented on what Football Welcomes is all about.
“Today’s event is wonderful,” he said. “Football Welcomes is about creating an environment rather than providing a service. Actions and activities like this, where different clubs have got an opportunity to see what everybody else is doing and bring people together – that’s what we are talking about.
“The fact that Leicester City in the Community has put this tournament on is fantastic.”
Watch the tournament unfold at St. George’s Park HERE. Find out more on the Football Welcomes Community Project by contacting Health and Wellbeing Coordinator Sarah Jones on sarah.jones@lcfc.co.uk.