Arriving in a new country can be intimidating enough when you’re with family and can speak the language, for refugees that arrive on British shores may not have th benefit of either. So how are they finding their feet playing football?
We spoke to some of the staff and players at a very special Lancashire derby.
We spoke to some of the staff and players at a very special Lancashire derby.
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00:00It's Salford versus Preston, but maybe not the sides that you'll be expecting.
00:04We're here in Albert Park in Salford, getting ready to watch the club's refugee teams play each other in a friendly match.
00:11For those people fleeing difficulty and conflict, arriving here in England is of course a blessing,
00:15but it can also be an intimidating and terrifying experience.
00:18What young men need more than anything is a release, a way to express themselves,
00:22and Foundation 92 and Preston North End Community Trust have done just that,
00:25offering young men like Kalita the opportunity to find their feet and meet some friends.
00:30Even me, I love football, you know? I love football, but even I dream, I try to struggle.
00:36To be like Harlan, keeping the brain, maybe, if God is willing.
00:42Yeah, but there is something you need, you need training.
00:45But if there is no training, you will not reach like Harlan, like Harry Kane.
00:49Those people will not reach without training.
00:51Reaching the level of Harlan or Harry Kane certainly will take work,
00:54but work is exactly what Tom Hutton and the rest of the Foundation team invest in these young people.
00:58We help them develop their skills, help develop their confidence, integrate into the community,
01:02attend academic classes, improve their English language skills, etc.
01:06So really, without the support of programmes such as Foundation 92's integration offer,
01:11a lot of these guys just wouldn't have the type of support and life chances that they've got now.
01:15It's always about individuals that have, you know, end-start programmes really, really low,
01:19struggling with their self-esteem, living in quite challenging accommodation,
01:26where we've helped them, you know, get back on their feet, get qualifications,
01:30help them, you know, get into a flat to manage their money and get into work.
01:34So that end-to-end journey has been possible.
01:36And for those worrying about everything being too nice, don't worry, we're still at Lancashire Derby.
01:40Fair play is key, that's something I said to them, I said, you know, it's a friendly,
01:43but obviously, you know, you can tell the guys straight away,
01:45a few of the tackles will go in there, they want to win.
01:47So if anyone ever needed any more evidence that football really was the global game, look behind me.
01:52We've got people from different cultures, different nations, playing football in a park.
01:57Manchester World, I'm Theodore from St. Beths.