Workshops with Footballer Azeem Amir & Learn with ESS

Amir is a Blind footballer who began playing at an early age. His love for the game, along with a lack of provision for others living with visual impairments, motivated his to found Learn with ESS in February 2020. This programme works with schools and youth organisations, such as Bloomsbury, running interactive workshops that tackle the stigma surrounding visual impairment.  

You put that blindfold on and its lights out, now you’re reliant on those around you…I can talk to them about my disability as much as I want, until they experience it – it’s a new experience

– Azeem Amir, Footballer and Founder of Learn with ESS 

Azeem has had a successful sporting career thus far alongside his work with Learn with ESS, and despite an injury preventing him from representing Team GB at the Tokyo Paralympics, he is now training for the next games in 2024.  

Azeem delivered a Blind football session for players of various age groups at Bloomsbury today. These workshops introduced our young people to how those with visual impairments experience football differently, emphasising the importance of teamwork and communication on and off the pitch. 

To think how much has happened in 16 months is crazy! Our partnership Bloomsbury is a massive part of that!

– Azeem Amir

Bloomsbury’s partnership with Azeem and Learn with ESS has been hugely important in enabling us to continue changing the game not just for our young people, but for the industry as a whole. This is the fifth Learn with ESS workshop we’ve run, and we look forward to more in the future.  

 We are so grateful to be partnered with Learn with ESS. The work that Azeem is doing is crucial in widening our understanding of who football is for, and Learn with ESS is leading the way in tackling stigmatized issues surrounding disabilities. Azeem’s sessions show how important communication and teamwork are for all players, and they are a fantastic opportunity for our young people 

– Charlie Hyman, CEO and Founder  

We are committed to offering a varied and engaging football experience to develop our young people as players and as people. After the session, Azeem was able to speak with our players, answering their questions and sharing more about his experiences as a footballer.  

This was a fantastic way to bring an end to the five weeks of summer camps we’ve run across eight locations, during which we have engaged over 1,000 young people in London. We are excited for the kick-off of the new season next week!