The UN Refugee Agency reported that more than 114 million individuals were forcibly displaced from September 2022-23. That’s the largest single-year increase ever recorded by the organisation. Ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20th - which celebrates the courage and strength of those who have been forced to flee their homes and countries - we worked with sport-for-change charity Bloomsbury Football to celebrate the organisation’s incredible Refugee and Asylum Seeker programme.
Hosting free of charge weekly football sessions at multiple pitches across London, the programme is designed to help young refugees and asylum seekers aged 11-18 to settle into their new environment and thrive both on and off the pitch. The charity provides participants with the opportunity to improve language skills through interactive activities and social interactions, enhancing physical fitness with structured football training and exercises, developing citizen skills, while promoting well-being.
Perhaps most importantly, the sessions offer a safe space for participants to combat isolation and loneliness by making new friends – a major issue that impacts a significant proportion of displaced people. MatchFit invited former footballer Fabrice Muamba, who arrived as a refugee aged 11 from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to one of the charity’s dedicated Refugee and Asylum Seeker sessions.
Fabrice met with participating coaches and inspired budding footballers by recalling how football was a point of connection among other young people growing up, while detailing the importance of installing a sense of belonging for those who have experienced extreme hardship during their formative years. The result? Three top-tier interviews with national sports media which equated to increased awareness around Bloomsbury Football's incredible work.
Interested in learning more about Bloomsbury’s Special Projects provision? Watch Yaroslav, a Ukrainian refugee, tell his story alongside Fabrice in an interview with Sky Sports News ⬇️
