The Welcome through Football Methodology

Within the Welcome through Football 2019 project and based on our research of existing programmes, EFDN developed a 3-step methodology to support refugees to integrate in European society, to be used throughout the Welcome through Football project:

• Step 1: Socialisation to sports: providing different football offerings for young refugees of both genders related to their specific requirements such as language skills or the possibility of trauma. In these first 12 weeks, the participants are offered football sessions to guide them to sport activities at a foundation or grassroots clubs’ level. The sessions can also include some assistance with learning the local language, but the main aim is to offer the participants a structured sport offer at a grassroots club/level and to build a new social network in their new community.

• Step 2: The socialisation in sports: working on team structure, giving more responsibility to the participants, and offering additional opportunities (like training and coaching skills) with the sports training sessions. Step 2 of the Welcome through Football Methodology still includes weekly football sessions, but the participants are offered an additional training curriculum which will provide them with skills to take more responsibility and for instance assist with the training sessions of their peers who just started with Step 1 of the Welcome through Football Methodology. The participants learn what it is to volunteer on grassroots level and together with the participants the partners will develop individual learning paths to guide them to Step 3.

• Step 3: The socialisation through sports: focusing on the skills the participants learn from taking part in the available offers so they qualify for further education, volunteering, or work placement in and outside of sports. Step 3 of the Welcome Through Football Methodology also offers weekly football sessions but the main focus is to guide and assist the participants to education or internship opportunities. Depending on their age and skills, the participants are introduced to sponsors of the professional football club during so called Scoring for Jobs Match days. A unique occasion for both sides to sit at the same table, erase any potential prejudice and bilaterally discuss about employment opportunities.