Football - Care4Calais https://care4calais.org/news/tag/football/ Calais Refugee Crisis Charity Wed, 21 Feb 2024 22:20:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://care4calais.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/cropped-C4C_Logo-32x32.png Football - Care4Calais https://care4calais.org/news/tag/football/ 32 32 Care4Calais FC’s adventure at the Refugee World Cup https://care4calais.org/news/care4calais-fc-adventure-at-the-refugee-world-cup/ https://care4calais.org/news/care4calais-fc-adventure-at-the-refugee-world-cup/#respond Fri, 01 Jul 2022 17:35:58 +0000 https://care4calais.org/?p=36705 Refugees are often incredibly resourceful and inspiring people, and when you support them as a volunteer with Care4Calais, you can find yourself doing amazing things that you probably wouldn’t have otherwise tried. That’s how our group in Manchester came to set up a football team and enter the Refugee World Cup! It started when we began running social afternoons at a hotel housing asylum seekers in the city. We began supporting a couple of people who were struggling with their mental health, and one Sunday afternoon we decided to take along some footballs and snacks to see if that helped. It did. First one, then another person came out to see what was happening, and then more and more; eventually a competitive game of five-a-side football took shape with several other groups sat around in the sunshine watching, chatting. Many of the guys had only recently arrived at the hotel, and one told us that this was the first time they had all come together in such a way. Now people from many different countries and cultures were mixing, and even though many were speaking different languages, it didn’t matter. All this had come from someone thinking to take a ball along! It really showed the power of football and sport in general. Refugees can be so isolated and used to being on their own, and little things like this can make all the difference. Now, there is a competition called the Refugee World Cup, which takes place annually in Manchester as part of Refugee Week celebrations. This year’s event was run by Manchester Refugee Support Network (MRSN) and the Manchester FA and had more than 22 teams of refugees, asylum seekers and community groups from across the city taking part. As we were watching the guys playing football in the sun we decided to get a Care4Calais team together and enter. We only had a month to organize it all – not easy, as we didn’t know the refugees well at the time, they did not know us and we had no supplies. Luckily we had met Mohammed, a refugee at the hotel, who was a massive help. He got the group together and did all the interpretation for us. Organising the team was a real community effort. A local football club called Lymm Rovers loaned us a set of strips. Football boots were donated by Happy Somedays community group. Lots of people helped, and when they day came, we were ready. We had 13 players from so many countries – Sudan, Yemen, Eritrea, Syria, and Kurdistan – and a great photographer from Egypt to take pictures. Mohammed didn’t play, but translated and helped us organise everyone. Despite no regular training, the team drew 4 of their 5 matches and by the end of the day had really come together and were looking threatening on the pitch. Our goalkeeper, Abdelrahman, made some spectacular saves which earnt him recognition as the teams (unofficial) player of the tournament. Mohammed told me, “I would like to thank Care 4 Calais to do this activity and previous activities, it’s a good organisation and a lot of thanks to Lucy, Rebecca and Mara for making our day. It was a good day and we were delighted and wish to do more and more activities. Thank you.” It’s been a great experience, and although the tournament is over, this is hopefully only the beginning. We are already planning for more matches over the summer, and will keep up our social afternoons at the hotel. You might be seeing us as a stadium near you one day!

The post Care4Calais FC’s adventure at the Refugee World Cup appeared first on Care4Calais.

]]> Refugees are often incredibly resourceful and inspiring people, and when you support them as a volunteer with Care4Calais, you can find yourself doing amazing things that you probably wouldn’t have otherwise tried. That’s how our group in Manchester came to set up a football team and enter the Refugee World Cup!

It started when we began running social afternoons at a hotel housing asylum seekers in the city. We began supporting a couple of people who were struggling with their mental health, and one Sunday afternoon we decided to take along some footballs and snacks to see if that helped.

It did. First one, then another person came out to see what was happening, and then more and more; eventually a competitive game of five-a-side football took shape with several other groups sat around in the sunshine watching, chatting.

Many of the guys had only recently arrived at the hotel, and one told us that this was the first time they had all come together in such a way. Now people from many different countries and cultures were mixing, and even though many were speaking different languages, it didn’t matter. All this had come from someone thinking to take a ball along! It really showed the power of football and sport in general. Refugees can be so isolated and used to being on their own, and little things like this can make all the difference.

Now, there is a competition called the Refugee World Cup, which takes place annually in Manchester as part of Refugee Week celebrations. This year’s event was run by Manchester Refugee Support Network (MRSN) and the Manchester FA and had more than 22 teams of refugees, asylum seekers and community groups from across the city taking part.

As we were watching the guys playing football in the sun we decided to get a Care4Calais team together and enter.

We only had a month to organize it all – not easy, as we didn’t know the refugees well at the time, they did not know us and we had no supplies.

Luckily we had met Mohammed, a refugee at the hotel, who was a massive help. He got the group together and did all the interpretation for us. Organising the team was a real community effort. A local football club called Lymm Rovers loaned us a set of strips. Football boots were donated by Happy Somedays community group. Lots of people helped, and when they day came, we were ready.

We had 13 players from so many countries – Sudan, Yemen, Eritrea, Syria, and Kurdistan – and a great photographer from Egypt to take pictures. Mohammed didn’t play, but translated and helped us organise everyone.

Despite no regular training, the team drew 4 of their 5 matches and by the end of the day had really come together and were looking threatening on the pitch. Our goalkeeper, Abdelrahman, made some spectacular saves which earnt him recognition as the teams (unofficial) player of the tournament.

Mohammed told me, “I would like to thank Care 4 Calais to do this activity and previous activities, it’s a good organisation and a lot of thanks to Lucy, Rebecca and Mara for making our day. It was a good day and we were delighted and wish to do more and more activities. Thank you.”

It’s been a great experience, and although the tournament is over, this is hopefully only the beginning. We are already planning for more matches over the summer, and will keep up our social afternoons at the hotel. You might be seeing us as a stadium near you one day!

The post Care4Calais FC’s adventure at the Refugee World Cup appeared first on Care4Calais.

]]> https://care4calais.org/news/care4calais-fc-adventure-at-the-refugee-world-cup/feed/ 0 A’s story https://care4calais.org/news/dreaming-of-being-a-lawyer/ https://care4calais.org/news/dreaming-of-being-a-lawyer/#respond Sun, 25 Jul 2021 16:26:44 +0000 https://care4calais.org/?p=34544 When I get refugee status, I want to study to be a lawyer, like Hannah, and help people like me. So many people from my country need help. Well, first I have to learn English better, I’ve been learning eight months now but it’s still a bit hard. Hannah works for Care4Calais and helped me find a lawyer when I first got to the UK, when I was in a hostel in London. She also took me to a church to help me find things that Care4Calais were giving out. After that I went back to help with the distributions. I knew Care4Calais already from France, I was in Calais for five months. Calais is very difficult for refugees, if I had not found Care4Calais I don’t know what I would have done. There were times on my travels that I did not eat for 12 days, when I was in Italy. Italy is too tough for us to live there. But in Calais I got food and clothes and other things I needed, Care4Calais helped me so much. So when I got to the UK it was easy for me to start to help Care4Calais. Three months ago I was moved to Norwich, which is very different from London, it is small and there are not so many Sudanese here. It’s made me learn English faster though and now I help Care4Calais in a different way. I started by helping my housemates find the things they needed but then Care4Calais asked me if I could be the talking voice for them in Arabic and English. So that is what I do now, I really like to help people from my country, but others too. I can do this help from my phone; I don’t have to be with the person. My phone is not so good though. I am from Darfur, it’s a part of Sudan but nothing there is good. I don’t have any good memories, I left when I was 18. All I remember is the Janjaweed taking men from my town to make them fight or just to kill them, so the village had no one to protect it. My mum was always scared, she couldn’t travel anywhere, and you did not know when they would come to burn your village or attack you. There is no work and no money, so no food and no education. Well. I went to primary school but all day long I had to learn Arabic. The war has been going since 2003, that’s why I have no good memories, I was a baby when it began. When the Janjaweed came for me, I had to leave. Darfur is so bad, you can’t live there. I got on a big truck with seven others, and we drove across the Sahara and into Libya. It took 20 days. I was in Libya for some time before I got a boat to Malta. That was bad, we were on the sea for three days with no food and no water. I was in jail in Malta for a time before I could escape to Italy. I finally got to the UK three years after leaving Darfur. I know that I will be able to help my family from here soon. I like to play football, this is the Norwich strip I’m wearing. We go to the stadium to play. The Red Cross organise the games with many refugees, I play defense. It is a really nice time. I did play soccer in Sudan but not in this fancy kit! We often played in bare feet and had a ball made of plastic bags and rubber bands. I liked Arsenal best when I was in Sudan, but now of course I like Norwich. What do I hope for in the future? Well I want to find a girlfriend, I hope someone will like me.

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]]> When I get refugee status, I want to study to be a lawyer, like Hannah, and help people like me. So many people from my country need help. Well, first I have to learn English better, I’ve been learning eight months now but it’s still a bit hard. Hannah works for Care4Calais and helped me find a lawyer when I first got to the UK, when I was in a hostel in London. She also took me to a church to help me find things that Care4Calais were giving out. After that I went back to help with the distributions. I knew Care4Calais already from France, I was in Calais for five months.

Calais is very difficult for refugees, if I had not found Care4Calais I don’t know what I would have done. There were times on my travels that I did not eat for 12 days, when I was in Italy. Italy is too tough for us to live there. But in Calais I got food and clothes and other things I needed, Care4Calais helped me so much. So when I got to the UK it was easy for me to start to help Care4Calais.
Three months ago I was moved to Norwich, which is very different from London, it is small and there are not so many Sudanese here. It’s made me learn English faster though and now I help Care4Calais in a different way. I started by helping my housemates find the things they needed but then Care4Calais asked me if I could be the talking voice for them in Arabic and English. So that is what I do now, I really like to help people from my country, but others too. I can do this help from my phone; I don’t have to be with the person. My phone is not so good though.
I am from Darfur, it’s a part of Sudan but nothing there is good. I don’t have any good memories, I left when I was 18. All I remember is the Janjaweed taking men from my town to make them fight or just to kill them, so the village had no one to protect it. My mum was always scared, she couldn’t travel anywhere, and you did not know when they would come to burn your village or attack you. There is no work and no money, so no food and no education. Well. I went to primary school but all day long I had to learn Arabic. The war has been going since 2003, that’s why I have no good memories, I was a baby when it began. When the Janjaweed came for me, I had to leave. Darfur is so bad, you can’t live there.
I got on a big truck with seven others, and we drove across the Sahara and into Libya. It took 20 days. I was in Libya for some time before I got a boat to Malta. That was bad, we were on the sea for three days with no food and no water. I was in jail in Malta for a time before I could escape to Italy. I finally got to the UK three years after leaving Darfur. I know that I will be able to help my family from here soon.
I like to play football, this is the Norwich strip I’m wearing. We go to the stadium to play. The Red Cross organise the games with many refugees, I play defense. It is a really nice time. I did play soccer in Sudan but not in this fancy kit! We often played in bare feet and had a ball made of plastic bags and rubber bands. I liked Arsenal best when I was in Sudan, but now of course I like Norwich.
What do I hope for in the future? Well I want to find a girlfriend, I hope someone will like me.

The post A’s story appeared first on Care4Calais.

]]> https://care4calais.org/news/dreaming-of-being-a-lawyer/feed/ 0