EFDN’s ‘Welcome through Football’ 1st International meeting
The ‘Welcome through Football’ kick-off seminar was held in Bremen this past 22nd and 23rd of January 2019. Funded by Erasmus+, ‘Welcome through Football’ is a collaboration between KAA Gent, SV Werder Bremen, Everton FC, Vitesse Arnhem and Apollon Limassol. The first meeting saw the participating clubs come together to initiate the 12 months project which covers Belgium, Germany, England, Cyprus and the Netherlands.
One of the main objectives of the ‘Welcome through Football’ programme is to develop a new methodology for use across Europe which will use football as a tool to promote the social integration of refugees. Over a 12 week period, the methodology will target refugees aged between the ages of 7 and 25, using the twice a week sessions as a safe space to aid the social integration of refugees in their host countries and to develop and prove the methodology.
During this weeks meeting, representatives from KAA Gent, Apollon Limassol, Everton and SV Werder Bremen came together to discuss the delivery of this programme and share their experience and expertise. SV Werder Bremen shared their methodology and extensive experience from the 6 refugee integration projects they currently operate and revealed the structure of their sessions along with how they include other participants with the club. Everton FC added on how they make their current refugee integration sessions as inclusive as possible while, KAA Gent highlighted how the events they hold are inclusive of parents and the neighbourhood and suggested this as a possibility for the Welcome through Football programme. They also shared information about their current social inclusion programmes and their youngster’s programme which will likely be valuable in the development of Welcome through Football at KAA Gent. Finally, Apollon Limassol shared some of their recent projects and their country’s experience with the refugee situation which will also prove to be beneficial for this programme.
The participating clubs also discussed how they can work together to create further dissemination and awareness of this topic as well as possible multiplier effects and additional activities that could take place in relation to the programme. Some of the representatives even took part in an open session of one of SV Werder Bremen’s current programmes for refugees. Attendees were able to meet a former player in one of SV Werder Bremen’s refugee programmes who has remained involved in social action programmes run by the club.
Overall, the programme got off to an excellent start with a positive mindset amongst the participants, we look forward to the progression of the programme and the hospitality of Everton FC in Liverpool for the next meeting in the beginning of May 2019. See the Programme page more details on the programme itself.
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