The Ipswich Town Foundation publicly launched its Refugee Football initiative at Goals on Wednesday.

The free sessions, which are funded by Sport England, started in September with the official announcement made now to celebrate the EFL Week of Action.

Sessions are run for adults on Mondays in partnership with Volunteering Matters and on Wednesday for adults and those aged between 16 and 18 in partnership with Suffolk Refugee Support and Suffolk New College.

The aim of the programme is to engage and provide a fun and safe environment to socialise as well as play football, while some of those involved also have the chance to work for a coaching or refereeing qualification.

Among those taking part are refugees and asylum seekers from a range of countries including Eritrea, Syria, Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of them are in temporary accommodation and not allowed to work, receiving only £8 per week in government support.

Town skipper Sam Morsy and CEO Mark Ashton attended Wednesday night’s official launch.

“I’ve said before that the community needs to be at the forefront of everything we do, and this is a great example of that,” Ashton told the club site.

"It’s an opportunity to support a group of refugees and use the club’s brand to bring a group of people together.

"If the football club can help and work to bring people together in our local community, that can only be a good thing.”

Morsy added: ”It was brilliant to watch the lads play. It was a really good turnout and you could see how much they enjoyed it.

“They’ve been through tough times and it’s not easy circumstances for them. It’s invaluable really, not just for them to blow off some steam but for their mental state as well.

“The essence of what it can do is more important than football itself. Football is just 90 minutes but what it can do to people’s lives and for their wellbeing, for me, is so much more important. It’s a fantastic scheme.”

Kamal, one of those taking part, said: “We play here every Wednesday evening and it makes us all happy.

“For us to learn, it’s important that we have a coach who also helps us work on our physique.

“When we finish playing football, you can see the effect on our mental health. We were grateful to see Sam for the first time face to face, too.”

Maheta Molango, CEO of the Professional Footballers’ Association, was also at Wednesday’s launch.

“Football is such an important tool of integration,” he said. “For us at the PFA, work in the community is very important and is at the centre of what we do. Being out here and seeing people enjoy themselves through football is fantastic.”

Suffolk Refugee Support provides refugees and asylum seekers with a range of advice and activities, among them employment and training support, English classes, youth work, a women's group and football and cricket sessions.

Their spokesperson added: “We're so grateful to ITFC for supporting our weekly football sessions with local refugees and asylum seekers.

“Many of the people we work with have had their lives turned upside down, experienced trauma and live with high levels of stress. For two hours a week. playing football brings them together and takes their minds off day-to-day anxieties.

“Asylum seekers can spend many months in limbo with futures full of uncertainty and subject to change at any minute.

“Football provides a constant as something they have enjoyed all their lives and it's brilliant to see people smiling and having fun together. Alongside the physical health advantages, the wellbeing benefits really are enormous.

“The structured coaching is also valuable - having someone with expertise take the time to work with them means a lot to people who don't always receive much support. And there's some real talent on display too!”

Photo: ITFC

TractorfactorSteve added 12:58 - Jan 20 Fantastic. Working with refugees here in Cyprus has taught me just how much talent would otherwise be being lost without the right support. Who knows what might be turned up through this great initiative?
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Ozweegobro added 17:41 - Jan 20 Just absolutely brilliant 👏 long may it continue!
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