The Football United program started out as an initiative of Anne Bunde-Birouste from the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of New South Wales. It has grown to include numerous stakeholders, and runs programs throughout Sydney, particularly in the South West and Western regions including Blacktown and Liverpool.
Football United has formed partnerships with various community organisations including STARTTS, Migrant Resource Centres, the Police Communities and Youth Clubs (PCYC) and Football clubs throughout Sydney, as well as a strong base of committed volunteers.
Through these partnerships Football United delivers, weekly after-school soccer skills program, vacation training camps, coaching and referee training, family gala days, a mentoring program, and ‘Football in the Park’ every Saturday for refugees and local residents. This innovative program seeks to assist young refugees in their immigration and integration to Australia by providing a supporting and enjoyable environment through a soccer development program. While the focus is particularly on youth, the program will contain elements designed to contribute to building community cohesion among the different refugee communities, but will also explore potential for bridging across different Australian communities.
The program combines a number of approaches that have had documented success such as the use of sport to bring people from differing communities together. Fundamental as well is the use of proven effective social intervention strategies which associate factors of personal development with social development, such as empowerment and life-skills workshops, and youth mentorship programs.
This is such a great initiative…good to see some of the money in football is being spent in this way!