6 | FOREVER Keele
Refugees engage with community at campus football tournament
Refugees from around the world recently engaged with their new community in a football tournament on Keele ’ s campus , which aimed to break down barriers and improve their integration .
Held as part of the nationwide Refugee Week , the eight-a-side tournament was held in partnership with the University and the Students ’ Union , with support from the charity ASHA North Staffordshire .
Refugee teams from Stoke-on-Trent , Crewe , Derby and Burton-upon-Trent took part , as well as a team made up of Keele students .
The aim of the tournament was to promote an understanding among the local community of the plight of refugees and asylum seekers , encourage community cohesion , and overcome language barriers through sport , as well as helping refugees in the local area to integrate with their new community .
It also aimed to break down aspiration barriers among refugees and asylum seekers , many of whom wrongly believe that they have no access to higher education .
Godefroid Seminega , Service Manager at ASHA North Staffordshire , helped to organise the event : “ It ’ s really important that this tournament happened as part of Refugee Week . Events like this provide a great opportunity for people to integrate with their new communities as they adapt to their new lives , and we hope to be able to stage more events like this in the future .”
Staff and students at Keele ’ s Language Centre have also been supporting these refugees over recent months by offering English language lessons , to further help them adapt to life in the UK .