Amnesty International UK
Log in

Highlights of Football Welcomes 2021

 


Amnesty UK & Goal Click Picture Story - 2021 by Niall Couper

 

⚽ Football Welcomes 2021 ⚽

The Football Welcomes month

Over the month of April, more than 100 football club foundations, County Football Associations, grassroots teams and Amnesty groups across the country came together to celebrate the contribution players with a refugee background make to the game and highlight the role of football in creating more welcoming communities - despite outdoor sport having only just returned with the easing of lockdown restrictions at the end of March.

We were delighted to team up with Goal Click this year for a special series telling stories from refugees across the country through football. Goal Click worked with our Football Welcomes Community Projects - at Leicester City in the Community, Liverpool County FA, Middlesbrough FC Foundation, Aston Villa Foundation, and Club Doncaster Foundation – providing film cameras for grassroots refugee footballers to show what football means to them. The images and stories - see above - are powerful and inspiring. 

Meanwhile, Fulham FC Foundation arranged a match for refugee teams. Middlesbrough FC Foundation organised an online talk with men’s first team defender Sam Morsy and participants in their Football Welcomes Community Project. Others, like Doncaster Rovers Belles, had players warming up in Football Welcomes t-shirts , or like Norwich City Women, made videos with players showing their support and shared these on social media. We also ran a training session on engaging refugee women and girls in football, and there’s another opportunity to attend on Monday 14 June  - sign up here. Have a look at #FootballWelcomes on Twitter to see much, much more.

A huge thank you to everyone who has been involved in Football Welcomes this year, especially given such challenging circumstances due to the pandemic. It’s been brilliant to see such support across the country. Please do get in touch if you’d like to find out more about Football Welcomes and how we can support your work throughout the year!

 

 

 

 

⚽ The Football Welcomes map ⚽

This map shows the participating clubs. Did your team take part? ? 

Football Welcomes is part of Amnesty International’s I Welcome campaign for a better international response to the global refugee crisis. The campaign encourages local communities to work together to create a more welcoming environment for people fleeing conflict and persecution.

Want to get your local football club involved? Find out how here.

Supported by the players of:

Related content

While you’re here…

Like you, we are horrified by the violence and the civilian death toll in Gaza, Israel and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We’re calling for an immediate ceasefire by all parties in the occupied Gaza Strip and Israel to prevent further loss of civilian lives. Amnesty International is investigating mass summary killings, indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, hostage-taking, and siege tactics.

As ever, our mission to protect human rights remains. Please donate today to help expose war crimes and protect human rights. Thank you.

Donate now