From June of this year Big Hearts, the charity of Heart of Midlothian FC will be delivering the first 12 weeks of ‘Welcome through Football’ at Tynecastle Park, in the West of Edinburgh.
Almost 9 in 10 people born outside the UK arrived under the age of 35. With ‘Welcome Through Football’ Big Hearts will provide support and assistance to recently arrived young refugees, asylum seekers and young people with a migrant background who are between 7 and 25 years old.
Edinburgh is the most ethnically-varied place in Scotland. According to the latest census, the country’s capital hosts more non-British residents than any other council areas. Edinburgh is also the local authority that welcomed the highest number of resettled refugees under the Government’s schemes for vulnerable people and children.
Through a shared methodology, the project – which is funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union, will offer a range of football-based activities at the Hearts’ Stadium to promote social inclusion, employability and intercultural dialogue. Click here to find out more.
Big Hearts is honoured to have been selected by the European Football for Development Network as one of 9 organisations delivering ‘Welcome through Football’ across Europe and the first ever one to do so in Scotland.
Other partners of the project include: AEK Athens (Greece), Everton in the Community (England), Newcastle United Foundation (England), Fundacao Benfica (Portugal), Werder Bremen (Germany), FC Emmen (Netherlands), Sheffield United Community Foundation (England) and KAA Gent (Belgium).
Organisations and local agencies are encouraged to get in touch to register individuals or groups: email kirsty.roebuck@bighearts.org.uk.
