FURD marks Refugee Week with All Nations tournament

The 9^th All Nations football festival takes place in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com🏢smarttags" />Sheffield on Sunday, 26^th June, with teams drawn from all over the world taking part.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com🏢office" />

The event, organised by Football Unites Racism Divides (FURD) in partnership with Sheffield and Hallamshire County FA, aims to encourage recent arrivals to the city to feel a sense of belonging through playing football. The 7-a-side tournament comprises of teams made up wholly or partly of refugees, asylum seekers or recent immigrants, and has been won for the last three years by Liberian team Galeed Giants.

One of the new teams taking part this year, Somali Gateway Community FC, is drawn from refugees from Somalia who had spent nearly all their lives in refugee camps in neighbouring Kenya before recently settling in Sheffield.                                                        

The festival is part of the nationwide Refugee Week which celebrates the contribution of refugees and asylum seekers make to life in the UK.

As well as the 7-a-side tournament, officials from the County FA and FURD will be on hand to offer support and advice about opportunities to play football, including joining local 11-a-side leagues.

Organiser Desbon Bushiri from FURD said: ‘The event goes from strength to strength and this year’s All Nations promises to be the biggest so far, with 15 teams registered. We are very appreciative of the support of both Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA and Sheffield City Council, who both understand how football can be a great method of helping people feeling welcome and wanted in the city’
 
The event is held at the Goodwin Sports Centre on Northumberland Road and runs from midday to 5pm. Spectators are welcome.

 For further details, contact Desbon Bushiri or Howard Holmes at FURD on 0114 255 3156.