Players from Leicester City watch Football welcomes refugee EFL sessions in the neighborhood
As part of the club’s continuous assistance for refugees and those looking for asylum in the city, Leicester City players Jakub Stolarczyk and Kasey McAteer participated in a Football Welcomes session with Leicester City in the Community earlier this month.
The two participated in a session on healthy eating and a Soccercise activity, a circuit training class centered on football, with a group of 20 participants at the St Margaret’s Pastures Sports Center, before giving each participant a piece of Leicester City gear.
The Football Welcomes initiative, carried out in collaboration with Amnesty UK, aids refugees and asylum seekers by combining football practices with educational activities.
Coaches from Leicester City in the Community deliver the Football Welcomes project each week, helping new arrivals to adapt and settle into life in Leicester.
Goalkeeper Stolarczyk said: “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.”
Leicester City in the Community engages with more than 100 participants per week as part of the Football Welcomes programme, while 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.”
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