At Bloomsbury Football, we are committed to ensuring that everyone can get on the pitch and experience the power of football.
Bloomsbury Football’s Refugee and Asylum Seeker Programme provides free football and wraparound support to refugees and asylum seekers from Ukraine and Afghanistan. Hosted at Maria Fidelis School round the corner from Euston Station, these weekly sessions allow refugees and asylum seekers aged 11-16 to settle into their new environment and develop on & off the pitch.
Sessions provide a fun, engaging and culturally-sensitive environment in which young refugees and asylum seekers can improve their language skills, physical fitness, mental health, and citizenship skills. Our sessions also offer a safe social space, allowing participants to build friendships and combat isolation & loneliness.
The ultimate goal of these sessions is to ease the process of transition for newly arrived refugees. Our programme facilitates integration by encouraging our players to join our mainstream football programmes, becoming a part of the Bloomsbury Football community.
Free to Play
No young person will ever be charged to participate in our refugee programme.
Designed for Inclusivity
All Bloomsbury Football refugee sessions are designed to provide an inclusive and accepting space for all players & their families.
A Growing Support Network
This programme began in the Summer of 2022, when we held two sessions per week. In 2023, we will be doubling the scale of this programme: it will now provide free football to four cohorts of young refugees per week, as well as offering free support to their parents and caregivers.