Amnesty International’s Football Welcomes Campaign 2024

Throughout April every year football Clubs across Wales come together to celebrate the contribution that refugees have had to the game of football and how football can be utilised as a tool to create more welcoming communities.

Beginning in 2017, the campaign aimed to celebrate the contributions of players from refugee backgrounds make to football and to highlight the role football can play in bringing people together and creating more welcoming communities for refugees.

Throughout April, football Clubs across Wales’ domestic leagues and grassroots game will be celebrating the Football Welcomes Campaign through a number of different initiatives. This will include offering free tickets to a game to refugees in their community, organising a match or tournament, arranging a stadium tour or player appearance in addition to signing up to the campaign and posting their support on social media.

To sign up to this year’s campaign, you can do so here.

The FAW in previous years have worked with Clubs across Wales to become Refugee Welcoming Clubs. With training provided by Amnesty International there are now Clubs across the country who can offer safe and inclusive spaces for Refugees to play the game. The FAW have ensured that a number of the selected Clubs across Wales are situated within the 4 dispersal areas to support Asylum Seekers and also are spread throughout Wales to support Resettled Refugees. You can learn  more about this initiative here: Football Welcomes Refugees (Cymru) (pawb.cymru)

As well as this accreditation for Clubs, the FAW also offers Coaching and Refereeing courses free of charge through bursary places. The Bursary Programme provides free Level 1 Football Coaching and Referee Award Courses for Asylum Seekers & Refugees identified through our Project Partners. The FAW provide additional support and mentoring for individuals who require it and sign-post those qualified individuals to a “Refugee Welcoming” Accredited Club.

Find out more about these opportunities and further resources at PAWB.Cymru

Amnesty International is the world’s leading human rights organisation with more than seven million supporters worldwide. Learn more about the Football Welcomes Campaign here: www.amnesty.org.uk/football-welcomes-refugees