McAteer & Stolarczyk Support Football Welcomes Project
- Leicester City players Jakub Stolarczyk and Kasey McAteer support Football Welcomes project
- They took part in a healthy eating workshop and Soccercise activity
- Football Welcomes is delivered in partnership with Amnesty UK
- It supports refugees and people seeking asylum by providing educational activities and football sessions
The pair joined a group of 20 participants at St Margaret’s Pastures Sports Centre to take part in a healthy eating workshop and Soccercise activity, an instructor led football-based circuit class, before gifting participants with Leicester City kit.
The Football Welcomes initiative, delivered in partnership with Amnesty UK, supports refugees and people seeking asylum by providing educational activities combined with football sessions.
Coaches from the Football Club’s charitable arm, alongside partners Leicester City of Sanctuary and After 18, deliver the Football Welcomes project each week, helping new arrivals to adapt and settle into life in Leicester.
Goalkeeper Stolarczyk commented: “It was really nice to see so many people from different countries and cultures mixing together through football. It was great to be able to spend some time with them and listen to their stories.
“For me, I moved to Leicester in 2017 and it was difficult at first because I couldn’t really speak the language. It was tough to be away from loved ones at such a young age, and when I look back on it, I was just a kid trying to chase his dreams, but for my parents it was really hard.
“The Leicester City family made it so much easier for me to settle and get used to a new environment, and this is what Leicester City in the Community are trying to do through Football Welcomes. It’s a brilliant programme.”
McAteer & Stolarczyk Visit Football Welcomes
Two Leicester City stars headed down to Leicester City in the Community's Football Welcomes programme this month to meet participants and get involved in the activities.
Leicester City in the Community has been involved in the Football Welcomes project for four years, engaging weekly with more than 100 participants and helping them to rebuild their lives, develop their skills and feel part of the community.
The project highlights the positive role football can play in bringing people together and creating more welcoming communities, as explained by Maggie Edgington, Families Lead at Leicester City of Sanctuary.
“Leicester City in the Community make the participants feel like a real part of the community and the relationship we have with the Football Club is fantastic," she said.
“They all love football, and all now love Leicester City. They were thrilled to meet Jakub and Kasey and I’m sure it’ll be a day they’ll never forget.”
Each April, clubs from across the country support Football Welcomes Month, an opportunity to celebrate the contribution players with a refugee background make to the game.
Activities and events take place throughout the month to welcome refugees and people seeking asylum, and it is the biggest celebration of football and refugees in the UK.
Amnesty UK said: “Leicester City in the Community has been a real trailblazer in welcoming refugees and people seeking asylum. Football is a universal language, and when someone has fled war or persecution and has had to leave their home and their loved ones behind, it can make a world of difference to be welcomed into the local football community.
“Many clubs across the country have opened their arms to refugees, and we would love to see even more getting involved and following Leicester City’s lead.”
Please click here for more information about Football Welcomes. For details about Leicester City in the Community’s Football Welcomes project, please email sarah.jones@lcfc.co.uk.