Football and friendship

Action accessible to all including newly-arrived migrants

PROJECT OWNER

Name of the project owner: Leicester City of Sanctuary
Status of the project owner:  Incorporated charity
Area of work of the project owner: Sport / Youth / Social integration / Health

PROJECT

United Kingdom
Geographic scope of project: Local
Project objectives: Educate and transmit values through sport / Practice a physical activity for physical/mental health / Promote access to volunteering in sport
Type of sport or physical activity carried out: Football
Partnership / supports:
Project duration: 3 years (start: April 2017 - end: March 2020)
Project status (January 2018): Underway
Supervising staff: Volunteers
Summary of the project: The aim of the project is to provide an opportunity for asylum-seekers and refugees to play football once a week, building on the success of existing provision, which has enabled, over the last two years,  40-50 asylum-seeking males to play the beautiful game in a friendly, non-threatening environment. For the participants, it is a welcome relief from the constraints of living on just £37 per week and not being allowed to work while waiting for a decision on their asylum application. It also provides the opportunity to meet and feel welcomed by members of the local community.

Leicester City of Sanctuary, which is a registered charity,  has funded the hire of one municipal astro-turf pitch for 90 minutes every Saturday morning since May 2016, but this funding cannot be sustained beyond March 2018.

A ‘crowd-funder’ appeal in August 2016 raised £1400 to purchase 40 pairs of astro-trainers, balls, bibs and goalie gloves, but that money is now spent and the boots are now well worn and in need of replacement.

City of Sanctuary aims to engender a culture of welcome for asylum-seekers and refugees in the local community, as well as supporting them as traumatized individuals. Regular sport, in this case in the form of football, is immensely beneficial in getting them out of their accommodation, where they are often isolated, and into a social setting where they can meet new friends and share stories and useful advice. Another obvious benefit is physical health and well-being; and a less obvious one perhaps is the sustenance of mental health, which is so important.

A new aspect of the project is a desire to run a separate session specifically for female asylum-seekers and refugees, whose needs for recreation and exercise are often neglected. The session would run simultaneously with that provided for males in the expectation that there would be some cross-over, especially in the early stages of skills training.

Leicester City of Sanctuary holds a weekly drop-in session every Wednesday from 11 till 2 PM in a city centre church hall. At this session, volunteers meet asylum-seekers and refugees and respond to their needs, sometimes by providing basics such as food, clothing or household items; sometimes by signposting them to relevant other charities such as the British Red Cross. Leaflets explaining the football session are always available and include directions from the city centre to the playing area at St. Margaret’s Pastures (a 10-minute walk).

Posters will also be displayed at the St. Margaret’s Sports facility and local community centres inviting the participation of local people.

TARGET GROUP

Country of origin: Sudan, Eritrea, Kurdistan, Afghanistan, Syria
Type of migration: Refugee / Asylum seeker
Target beneficiary: Teenager-Young people
Target age group: 21-30