MFC Foundation have teamed up with the Methodist Asylum Project (MAP) and the North Riding FA to deliver a three-year pilot project funded through Amnesty International aiming to create more welcoming communities for  refugees and those seeking asylum in the local area.

The Football Welcomes initiative will see the Foundation offer football and educational provision for those who have sought asylum in Middlesbrough as a result of fleeing war, conflict and the risk of persecution in their home countries.

The participants are from all over the world: Iran, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Syria, Palestine and many more.  At Football Welcomes, they will get the chance to work together as a team, to develop skills, and remember the fun and sense of belonging which team membership gives.

They will also get a real sense that Middlesbrough, through the football club Foundation, is extending welcome and friendship, which is a priceless feeling for anyone.

The weekly sessions held at the Herlingshaw Centre and other facilities across the Middlesbrough area see male and female participants take part in ESOL provision, football and also receive volunteering opportunities at the Foundation and the football club.

In creating more welcoming communities, the Foundation is looking to create alliances with supporters groups, encouraging regular attendance at sessions and friendly matches throughout the year.

Contact enquiries@mfcfoundation.co.uk for more details, or ring 01642 767674

We were honoured to receive some high praise for April’s Show Racism The Red Card event at the Riverside Stadium.

Hosted in the Legends Lounge, local primary schools Pallister Park, Pennyman, and Rosewood spent the day completing numerous activities, including a stadium tour and workshops, before a specialised Q&A session – all centred around the poignant topic of tackling racism.

Boro Women stars Ruby Cook, Sarah Burn and Grace Boyes formed part of the panel that answered heartfelt questions on their own on-field experiences, while Middlesbrough Academy players Leandro Bevin, William Okine and McCartney Woodhouse were present for the workshops earlier in the day.

Also in attendance was Middlesbrough and Thornaby East MP Andy McDonald, who was quick to highlight the incredible impact of the Foundation in the local area.

“Having conversations with youngsters at this tender age is going to be so important to give them the good foundations going forward in their later years. It’s a wonderful programme, and I’m delighted that it’s taking place at Riverside.

“I’m really pleased to see that so many organisations, Show Racism The Red Card, Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation, and many others besides, are concentrating on this. It’s bound to make a difference.”

Catherine Cain, Assistant Head Teacher at Pennyman Primary Academy, added: “We’ve really enjoyed hearing the insight of the Show Racism The Red Card. Their knowledge is paramount. I love the way they talked to the children about neighbours and who they would like to live next to.

“It allowed our children to think about their choices: how they make them, and how they would feel if they were put in that position.”

Read our event statistics infographic below: