Upon arriving in Liverpool, Mohammed was housed in temporary hotel accommodation with his three young children whilst they awaited a more permanent housing solution. Life in the hotel for Mohammed was one of isolation, away from his family, who were still based in Yemen.

After learning about LFC Foundation’s refugee football sessions, Mohammed signed up to provide an escape and an opportunity to meet new friends in a safe environment.

He attended the first tournament we entered as a refugee team at Burnley, as has attended our most recent events including a refugee tournament held in Sheffield and our 11-a-side derby fixture against Everton's refugee team.

Refugee football sessions provide a safe social space for people of similar challenges and journeys to come together and play a game that they all love.

But it is not always football that encourages our refugees to attend our sessions. It’s also the opportunity to spend time with new people in the community. This is so important for adults where making new friends can be more challenging.

Despite not playing in every session, Mohammed attends each one to engage and socialise with others.

LFC Foundation’s Inclusion Coordinator, Liam said, “Mohammed has become a staple of the refugee football programme, but also a notorious figure in our Inclusion Department at the Foundation.”

“He is a peacekeeper at sessions when the language barrier can be challenging for staff to tackle any sporting conflict, whilst also being a friendly introductory face to new participants in what can be quite a daunting and unfamiliar environment to settle into when English is not your first language.”

The languages spoken among our participants vary, which has naturally encouraged them to learn and develop their English skills.

We’ve been able to see improvement in Mohammed’s language skills over the last 18 months with the programme, and he has become an unelected spokesperson for the community group.

Mohammed told us, “I have attended LFC Foundation’s refugee football programme for over one year now and it has become a staple part of my weekly routine. Thanks to Liam and his team I have been able to meet new friends and keep in regular contact with old friends from when I lived in the hotel. Football provides us with a break from the challenges we face in our very isolated lives and provides us with a safe space and a sense of belonging.”