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A beating heart for children

The UEFA Foundation for Children has hit the ground running since its launch last April – and with UEFA EURO 2016 looming, this year promises to bring more joy for youngsters in Europe and beyond.

The joy shining in young eyes thanks to football has been a recurring feature in a memorable first year for the UEFA Foundation for Children, launched last spring with the key aim of using the game’s social force to help children and safeguard their rights.

The foundation, which embodies UEFA’s wish to play a more active role in society – using football as a vehicle – has hit the ground running in the initial eight months of its existence, already winning widespread plaudits for the quality of its work. A wealth of activities in 2016 are destined to provide further happiness and positive experiences for youngsters in Europe and beyond.

Launched on 24 April 2015, the foundation made its objectives immediately clear, and began forging a positive reputation with its opening projects. At the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan, in particular, and in conjunction with the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP) and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the foundation consolidated help to children displaced by the conflict in Syria by organising sports activities, training for football coaches and tournaments for girls and boys living in the camp.

In the Pacific region, the foundation took up responsibility for the Just Play project set up by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and UEFA, which seeks to encourage physical activity among 6 to 12-year-olds and promote healthy lifestyles to confront the local problem of child obesity. Work is also under way with the International Foundation of Applied Disability Research (FIRAH) to improve the lives of autistic children and their families.

An exciting year beckons for football fans, with UEFA EURO 2016 in France certain to dominate the summer. Appropriately, the foundation has launched three projects linked to the event, and will arrange and support activities that bring children to the fore.

July’s international streetfootballworld Festival 16 in Lyon will bring together 500 children and young people in celebration of UEFA EURO 2016, with the highlight being an international solidarity tournament backed by the foundation. In addition, just before the finals, Euro Foot Jeunes will see the cities of Lens and Lille stage boys’ and girls’ European schools’ football tournaments. The goal is to gather all 54 UEFA nations together in France so that they can be part of this fiesta of football – and Euro Foot Jeunes will feature nearly 1,000 players from the 30 European countries that have not qualified for the final round.

Deprived children will also have the chance to savour the unique UEFA EURO 2016 experience, with the foundation inviting 20,000 youngsters to attend a finals match. The children will be selected and looked after by the host cities and associations that play a recognised role at national or local level.

Other major UEFA occasions enabled the foundation to give children unforgettable memories in 2015. Eight children and four accompanying adults from the Air pur & soleil (Fresh Air & Sun) organisation in France attended the UEFA Champions League final in Berlin. In Poland, 143 vulnerable children were thrilled to be present at the UEFA Europa League final in Warsaw. Another 100 young people in precarious situations in the Prague region attended the UEFA European Under-21 Championship final in the Czech capital.

Perhaps the most eye-catching moments happened at the UEFA Super Cup match in Tbilisi, Georgia, last August. Through a shared initiative between the Georgian Football Federation (GFF) and the UEFA foundation, 1,000 disadvantaged children and accompanying adults from Georgia and eight neighbouring countries joined the star players of Barcelona and Sevilla as well as the match officials in forming a human chain, and four young Georgians sang John Lennon’s song Imagine to promote a powerful and moving message of peace through unity.

All of this impressive activity was guaranteed to meet with recognition, which duly came in November when the foundation won its first honour, the Foundation of the Year prize at the 2015 Peace and Sport Awards in Monte Carlo, for its impact in improving the living conditions of disadvantaged children.

Reaction to the migration crisis in Europe was also immediate – the UEFA Executive Committee giving its approval in September to a donation of €2m to the foundation for a series of initiatives to help child migrants in Europe and beyond.

By the end of the year, eight new projects had been added to the foundation’s portfolio for the forthcoming period. These include a health and social integration scheme in the Republic of Ireland; a programme tackling social exclusion in Burkina Faso; a campaign raising awareness of the dangers of mines, and awareness of football, in Iraq; and a project in Nepal aiming to ensure access to sport for vulnerable children, in particular young girls.

This year promises to be even more fulfilling than the first. “We are very proud of the work we do around the world and look forward to embracing new projects which can improve the lives of children around the world,” says the UEFA foundation’s chairman José Manuel Durão Barroso. “We are going to work to defend the rights of the poorest children and support them – through education, health initiatives, social inclusion and access to sport – to enable them to envisage a better future.” Football’s heart for children has never beaten more soundly …

UEFA Foundation helps children to live their dreams!

With the help of associations that fulfil the dreams of seriously ill children, as well as the goodwill of football clubs and their players, and thanks to UEFA and all its volunteers, the UEFA Foundation for Children has made some children’s dreams come true.

As a result, these children and their families have been able to share some memorable happy moments together, brightening the children’s lives and helping to build their confidence.

Marc’s dream:

To go to the UEFA Champions League final in Berlin.

UEFA Foundation for Children wins 2015 Peace and Sport Awards

The UEFA Foundation for Children won the prize of Foundation of the Year at the 2015 Peace and Sport Awards, which took place in Monte-Carlo on Thursday night.

In activity only since April of 2015, the UEFA Foundation for Children has already supported a variety of projects around the world and was recognised for the impact it has made improving the living conditions of disadvantaged children. This year, The UEFA Foundation for Children has worked diligently to protect the rights of children at the Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan, bringing joy and unity through sport and football for boys and girls alike. Another highlight for the Foundation in 2015 was hosting 1,000 disadvantaged children at the UEFA Super Cup Final in Tbilisi, Georgia. The children took part in the pre-match opening ceremony with star players from FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC, promoting peace and understanding.

The Chairman of the UEFA Foundation, Mr. Durao Barroso, said, “I am delighted that the work of our Foundation, which is only taking its first steps, has been recognised at such a prestigious awards ceremony. We are very proud of the work we do around the world and look forward to embracing new projects which can improve the lives of children around the world.“

The Peace and Sport Awards reward the expertise of organisations working for sustainable peace through sport, through initiatives promoting the best practices in the field. The President of the Peace and Sport, Joel Bouzou, handed the award to the UEFA Foundation for Children last night.

For more information on the UEFA Foundation for Children and its projects, go to

Website: www.UEFAfoundation.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uefafoundation

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UEFA_Foundation

Media contacts: media@uefafoundation.org

International solidarity tournament for young people during UEFA EURO 2016

The international streetfootballworld Festival 16 has been launched in Lyon – and next July’s event celebrates UEFA EURO 2016 with an international tournament backed by the UEFA Foundation for Children.

The international streetfootballworld Festival 16 has been launched in Lyon at a ceremony hosted by the Sport dans la Ville association. The festival, which will take place in July 2016, will bring together 500 children and young people in celebration of UEFA EURO 2016. The highlight will be an international solidarity tournament, supported by the UEFA Foundation for Children.

It will be their own UEFA EURO 2016 – a far-reaching event sponsored by Sport dans la Ville in Lyon, with children and young people from all over Europe and beyond comingtogether from 30 June to 7 July 2016. Sport dans la Ville is an association that was created in 1998 and has received backing from numerous partners, including the UEFA foundation.

The festival was launched in the presence of some 200 children from various sports centers of the Association around Lyon, who were given the opportunity to have their photos taken with, and get autographs from Olympique Lyonnais’ Nabil Fekir, who is currently recovering from injury. The children also formed a guard of honour for all the personalities and partners present, and gave a very warm welcome to Super Victor, the official UEFA EURO 2016 mascot.

“We really value the fact that UEFA not only organises major international competitions, but also makes it possible for events like this international solidarity tournament to take place in the context of UEFA EURO 2016,” said Olympique Lyonnais president Jean-Michael Aulas. “It is a desire we share with [UEFA President] Michel Platini. This is one of two tournaments that UEFA, through its Foundation for Children, is supporting in connection with UEFA EURO 2016,” said Jacques Lambert, president of EURO 2016 SAS. “We want to stress the fact that everyday football, the football played by youngsters in the country and the city, is almost more important than the football played by the big names we see on TV, because that is what brings the game to life. We must not forget this fundamental aspect of our sport. I’m sure this festival will be a wonderful success.”

Éric Abidal and Ludovic Giuly, both of whom made names for themselves at Olympique Lyonnais and won the UEFA Champions League with FC Barcelona, will be the UEFA Foundation for Children’s ambassadors in Lyon. “It’s always great to help out young people who need some structure and this kind of support,” said Giuly, “so that they can grow and have fun in the best possible conditions. We all dreamed of taking part in this kind of festival at their age. We’re delighted to be able to make it happen for them,”

“I really treasure the role of ambassador,” Giuly added. “Football is something I know very well, and I love working with children. What’s more, this is a really important initiative. I’m proud to be a Lyonnais and to do my bit to support an event like this.”

The UEFA Foundation for Children is also organising the 20,000 Children’s Smiles initiative – which, with the help of a large number of ambassadors, will give 20,000 disadvantaged children the opportunity to attend matches at EURO 2016.

ABOUT THE ORGANISERS

streetfootballworld (www.streetfootballworld.org)

The global streetfootballworld network unites more than 100 community organisations that use football to bring about social change. For these organisations, football is more than a game; it is a motivator and a common language that helps us to progress by learning from one another.

Sport dans la Ville (www.sportdanslaville.com)

Sport dans la Ville is the biggest non-profit organisation working to promote social and professional integration through sport for people aged 7 to 25 who live in disadvantaged areas.

The UEFA Foundation for Children supports Universal Children’s Day

The UEFA Foundation for Children is committed to improving the lives of children who are most in need by promoting universal and fundamental values such as human dignity, solidarity and hope.

That commitment links the foundation closely to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the United Nations on 20 November 1989. The convention comprises 54 articles ratified by the vast majority of the UN’s member states (191 out of 193). It is based on the principle that children are vulnerable beings and are individuals who have the right to be cared for, protected and educated, no matter where in the world they are born, and that children must also have the right to play, to learn and to express themselves.

The convention is of crucial importance, but has sadly not been enough to make children’s rights a reality. War or extreme poverty, but also family problems, social breakdowns, abuse, illness or a lack of education, plunge children and their families into sometimes tragic situations.

The UEFA Foundation for Children is supporting Universal Children’s Day, which provides the ideal opportunity to remember the numerous injustices committed against children all over the world. Since it was founded in April 2015, the foundation has got involved in some major projects, and it aims to continue assisting a large number of organisations working to help disadvantaged children all over the world, because the future for a better world is based on our children.

In the words of José Manuel Durão Barroso, chairman of the foundation and former president of the European Commission: “Children are the single most important thing at stake in the world today. They require strong, collective, immediate action. The objectives of the UEFA Foundation for Children are simple yet ambitious, and characterised by a profound humanity. The foundation aims to come to the aid of future generations in the fields of health, education, integration of minorities, defence of the rights of the child and, of course, access to sport. Together, we must act to guarantee children a future full of promise. Because by acting on behalf of children today we are shaping the society of tomorrow.”

Media Release 03 – UEFA Foundation board supports eight new projects

The UEFA Foundation for Children strengthens its commitment to defending the rights of vulnerable children worldwide

The UEFA Foundation for Children’s decision-making body, the board of trustees chaired by former European Commission president José Manuel Durão Barroso, held its latest meeting yesterday at the Foundation’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

The meeting agenda included a review of all current ongoing projects, followed by the ratification of new initiatives to be added to the Foundation’s portfolio in the coming months. The amount of €1.1m will be invested in new projects to be implemented on three continents over a period of several years.

Selected initiatives meet the following criteria: correspondence with the Foundation’s statutes; credibility of the partner organisations; presentation of a viable budget with local partners; and viability of the activities.

The meeting saw the Foundation commit financial support to eight new projects:

Establishment of a media library for street children in Ziguinchor (Senegal) in partnership with the Bibliothèque sans Frontière association. This initiative aims to facilitate access to education for street children, in particular young girls involved in child labour. Some 7,500 children are expected to benefit from this apprenticeship tool.
Health and social integration through sport in Ireland: This initiative, which comes under the patronage of the John Giles Foundation, aims to promote sporting activities within disadvantaged communities in Ireland; prevent obesity and social exclusion; and help to strengthen club structures and local entities, in order to foster the social integration of vulnerable sectors of the population.
Improvement of living conditions of street children in Luanda (Angola): This project, an initiative of SAMU International in partnership with the Arnold Janssen Centre, aims to improve and facilitate access to basic social services for children and young people living on the streets in Luanda. Another objective of this project is to develop socio-sporting activities by making football a support activity. UNICEF estimates that 5,000 children and young people live on the streets of Luanda.
A programme tackling social exclusion in Burkina Faso: This programme, organised by SAMU International, aims to combat the social exclusion of street children, and seeks to help them get off the streets through family assistance and professional training. UNICEF estimates that 3,500 children live on the streets of Ouagadougou.

Raising awareness of the dangers of mines, and awareness of football in Iraq: Led by Spirit of Soccer, the objective of this project is to reduce the risk of accidents linked to mines and other unexploded munitions that endanger children living in risk areas. In addition, the initiative enables the development of sporting activities for displaced sections of the population. According to estimates, 25,000 children live in camps in Iraq.
Inclusive education for the children of East Jerusalem: This project, which comes under the patronage of Terre des Hommes Italy, aims to improve school infrastructures and enable access to sport in the poorer areas of East Jerusalem. The initiative will provide help to 4,700 children and some 200 teachers at ten schools.
One Goal for Education: The European Football for Development Network (EFDN) is active in five European countries: Belgium, England, Israel, Netherlands and Scotland. This project aims to foster the personal development of children aged 8 to 15 through playing football; support vulnerable children in the education system; strengthen self-esteem and promote tolerance; and create a guide and e-learning platform to ensure the sustainability of the project. Between 1,000 and 1,500 children will benefit from this initiative.
The “Play for Change” programme in Nepal: Launched by the association of the same name, the project aims to ensure access to sport for vulnerable children, in particular young girls; the objective is also to establish sporting activities and local leagues within the schools, and to develop training for coaches and teachers in local communities.

Following the Foundation board of trustees’ meeting, chairman José Manuel Durão Barroso said: “We are satisfied at being able to work on new projects of quality with trusted partners, and in very diverse regions. Together and from today, we are going to work to defend the rights of the poorest children, and support them – through education, health initiatives, social inclusion and access to sport – to enable them to envisage a better future.”

Further information

The official UEFA Foundation for Children website: www.UEFAfoundation.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uefafoundation

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UEFA_Foundation

Media contact: media@uefafoundation.org

Children’s lives at the Za’atari camp

Nearly 80,000 Syrian refugees – 57 percent of whom are children – live at the Za’atari camp, which is located in the Jordanian desert. The UEFA Foundation for Children, in collaboration with UNHCR and the Asian Football Development Project, is helping children and young people through sports activities, in particular football, to allow them to play and remain children in a situation of war.

This exhibition draws a parallel between three different aspects of children’s lives at the Za’atari camp.

Children at the camp have had the opportunity to show, through their eyes, how life goes on despite the particular context in which they are living. In partnership with a local NGO, these youngsters have benefited from training as photographers, and the UEFA foundation provided cameras to allow them to realise their own exhibition and promote it beyond the borders of the Za’atari camp. The aspiring photographers were very motivated to take part in this project. Using professional cameras was a massive experience for them.

Pascale Cholette, a French photographer who works for the Metasud and Future Learning agencies, felt the great contrast between her freedom and the refugees, who are captive behind fences. Captive herself as a result of her European vision and Western culture, she decided to use the lights of the desert to isolate the youngsters from reality, and to just simply focus on what they are – children.

Rawan Risheq, the Jordanian photographer, had a fascinating experience. She was granted access into mosques and homes, and visits to youth centres and playgrounds enabled her to understand how a refugee’s life is organised, and how the Syrians have adjusted after years in the camp. Many children were happy to be photographed. However, some would barely smile – they seemed like grown adults in children’s bodies. Rawan came across a great deal of talent and so many powerful expressions which held stories of survival within them.

Euro Foot Jeunes launched

Supported by the UEFA Foundation for Children, Euro Foot Jeunes was launched on 1 October by the UNSS, the ISF, EURO 2016 SAS and the FFF.

Supported by the UEFA Foundation for Children, Euro Foot Jeunes was launched on 1 October by the national union of school sport (UNSS), the International School Sport Federation (ISF), EURO 2016 SAS and the French Football Federation (FFF).

The foundation was established on the initiative of UEFA and the UEFA President, Michel Platini, and emphasises UEFA’s desire to play a more active role in society. For many years UEFA has supported various children’s initiatives and programmes. This support has led the foundation to work with several partners to develop projects both inside and outside Europe. Euro Foot Jeunes is one such project.

From 29 May to 5 June, just before UEFA EURO 2016 officially begins, the cities of Lens and Lille will host the boys’ and girls’ European schools’ football tournaments. The aim is to gather all 54 UEFA nations together in France so that they can be part of the ultimate celebration of football. Euro Foot Jeunes will bring together participants of 45 nationalities and almost 1,000 players from the 30 European countries that have not qualified for the main event.

The cities of Lens and Lille were chosen to host the tournaments by the organisers.

Euro Foot Jeunes will take place at top sports facilities provided by Lille Metropole and RC Lens: Stade Pierre Mauroy, which will host six UEFA EURO 2016 matches, and La Gaillette, RC Lens’s training and development centre. The matches will be supervised and refereed by 300 young people from the UNSS in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. In addition to the sporting dimension, there will be a strong educational component, which will provide an opportunity to highlight the diversity of educational pathways and the numerous different projects devised to help all pupils succeed. “We hope Euro Foot Jeunes 2016 will be a chance to reinforce the UNSS’s educational aspect, with the help of a big international sports event in France,” said the UNSS national director, Laurent Petrynka.

Watch the UEFA Super Cup opening ceremony!

Football United for Peace was the theme of the opening ceremony of the 2015 UEFA Super Cup, which took place at Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi on 11 August. The match was between FC Barcelona, winners of the UEFA Champions League, and Sevilla FC, winners of the UEFA Europa League.

This special pre-match ceremony was planned with the help of the UEFA Foundation for Children and in collaboration with the Georgian Football Federation.

The ceremony started with Georgian folk dancing accompanied by young drummers, while 1,000 disadvantaged children and accompanying adults from Georgia and eight neighbouring countries took their places around the pitch. They then joined the players and the match officials in forming a human chain. The grand finale was led by four talented young Georgians, who sang John Lennon’s Imagine to promote the message of peace.

The UEFA Foundation for Children would like to thank the Georgian Football Federation for getting the football associations of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine involved in this initiative and for the warm welcome given to the children.

The children went home with happy and unforgettable memories of the event. Attending an elite football match involving their idols and getting a taste of the atmosphere at such a great match truly was a dream come true.

Football united for peace

A pre-match ceremony involving 1,000 children and accompanying adults will illustrate football’s power to bring people together

Children from Georgia and neighbouring countries will spread messages of peace at the 2015 UEFA Super Cup in Tbilisi, thanks to a shared initiative between the Georgian Football Federation (GFF) and the UEFA Foundation for Children. Nearly 1,000 disadvantaged children from Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine have been invited to the event, all with support from their national football associations.

The children will participate in the pre-match ceremony, which is inspired by the theme ‘football united for peace’. The ceremony will be based around a human chain made up of the children and accompanying adults, the players – From FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC – and the referee team, symbolising how football can bring people together.

“As well as learning about elite football from the match, everyone will receive a message of peace and unity from the children – a message that is important for society,” said GFF president Zviad Sichinava. “The inclusion of this message in the pre-match ceremony shows how important these core values are to UEFA – values which led to the inauguration of the UEFA Foundation for Children. I would like to thank all the participating associations for their support in working not only to invite these children but to use football’s vast popularity as a stage to promote these vital values to a global audience.”

“Football gives us a great opportunity to be united as a society, and to empower children through the values that it brings, and the UEFA Super Cup is no different,” said UEFA President Michel Platini. “Childhood is a time when we exhibit the most extraordinary potential, and we hope that the presence of these children at this great occasion in Tbilisi can be inspirational for their futures. We would like to thank the Georgian Football Federation and its president, Zviad Sichinava, for the work undertaken with the UEFA Foundation for Children in order to make a difference to vulnerable children through this project.”

Media Release 02 – Football United for Peace

A human chain created by 1,000 children, together with the players and the referee team, to promote peace and unity

The UEFA Super Cup match between FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC, which will take place in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Tuesday 11 August, will feature a historic moment in the world of football. For the first time, the opening ceremony will include a human chain: a symbolic act involving the players, the referee team and 1,000 disadvantaged children and accompanying adults from Georgia and eight neighbouring countries. The aim of this shared initiative by the Georgian Football Federation (GFF) and the UEFA Foundation for Children is to spread a powerful message: ‘Football United for Peace’.

Tbilisi is the easternmost European city to host the UEFA Super Cup since 2012, when the match left Monaco, where it had been played since 1998. Other cities can now host this encounter between the previous season’s winners of the two major European club competitions: the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. The GFF, with the support of the UEFA Foundation for Children, decided to seize this opportunity to send a strong message by giving the spotlight to children from conflict zones in Europe, conveying the idea of peace and unity, and showing how football can bring people together. The national football associations of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine all responded positively to this initiative.

The president of the GFF, Zviad Sichinava, said: “Everyone will receive a message of peace and unity from the children – a message that is important for society. The inclusion of this message in the pre-match ceremony shows how important these core values are to UEFA – values which led to the inauguration of the UEFA Foundation for Children. I would like to thank all the participating associations for their support in working together to use football’s vast popularity as a platform to promote these vital values to a global audience.”

UEFA President Michel Platini added: “Football gives us a great opportunity to be united as a society, and to empower children. Childhood is a time when we exhibit the most extraordinary potential, and we hope that the presence of these children at this great occasion in Tbilisi can be inspirational for their futures. We would like to thank the Georgian Football Federation and its president, Zviad Sichinava, for the work undertaken with the UEFA Foundation for Children in order to make a difference to vulnerable children through this project.”

The UEFA Foundation for Children was established in 2015 on the initiative of the UEFA President, reflecting UEFA’s desire to use football as a force for good in society. A number of humanitarian and development programmes are being conducted by the foundation around the world. Furthermore, earlier this year a number of children were invited to the UEFA Europa League final in Warsaw, the UEFA Champions League final in Berlin, and the UEFA European Under-21 Championship final in Prague.

Further information

The official UEFA Foundation for Children website: www.UEFAfoundation.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/UEFA-Foundation-for-children/1390557581256583

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UEFA_Foundation

Media contact: media@uefafoundation.org

Experience of a lifetime for 100 youngsters in Prague

Thanks to the UEFA Foundation for Children and the Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR), 100 young people in precarious situations in the Prague region attended the UEFA European Under-21 Championship final between Sweden and Portugal at the Eden Stadium in the Czech capital.

Two local groups received 50 tickets each for the showpiece occasion. One group was the Children’s Home association, which helps children and adolescents who are marginalised or in difficult social situations, as well as orphans, homeless youngsters and children from the Roma minority.

“The Under-21 final is a very important event,” said Martin Lněnička from the Children’s Home, “and we were very surprised, happy and excited to be part of it. We all realised that it was a huge honour for us to share in football’s fever. We really appreciated this opportunity.”

“Children in our house live almost the same lives as other youngsters – school, hobbies, fun, shopping, cooking, cleaning, etc. They live in family groups and they are supervised by teachers, and they spend their time like other young persons.”

What can football bring into these youngsters’ lives? “In general, sport helps a lot in difficult life situations,” Martin Lněnička explained. “Football is fun for everyone, boys and girls, and most of them have tried it. That’s the reason why they can understand the game. Personally, they love Ronaldo and Messi, and they know most of the famous players from the UEFA Champions League. They also have their favourite players in our national team, and now in the Under-21 category as well.”

For these young people, the invitation to a major European competition final was a fantastic experience. Through the realisation of this dream, the Foundation hopes that the experience will give the youngsters a glimmer of hope and a boost in their life.

World Refugee day for youngsters at the Za’atari camp

To celebrate World Refugee Day on 20 June, a friendly football event took place involving Jordan’s national Under-15 team and a team from the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan. The event was staged at the Al-Hassan football stadium situated a few kilometres from the camp, and followed a football tournament organised at the Za’atari camp from 11 to 15 June.

The activities were organised by the UEFA Foundation for Children, the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP), the UNHCR and the Jordan Football Association (JFA).

The event brought together 25 Jordanian adolescents and 23 Syrian counterparts. The activities were aimed at nurturing interaction and dialogue between young Syrians and Jordanians through football, and promoting, among others, the role of sport and recreational activities in responding to young people’s psychosocial needs.

The event and its message fitted perfectly with the message being promoted by the UNHCR this year – Standing Together.

This year’s World Refugee Day fell during Ramadan, so the meeting took place in the evening after the breaking of the fast. The two teams were able to eat together and mingle during sports games and other life skills activities before they started the football event. Four teams were formed, all featuring a mixture of young Jordanians and Syrians, and two matches of 20 minutes’ duration were staged.

The evening ended with traditional dancing – the debka – improvised by the youngsters. The young Syrians were able to leave the Za’atari camp for the first time since their arrival. Special thanks in this respect must go to Colonel Al-Amoush, head of the Za’atari camp, who made this possible.

The Syrian youngsters were delighted to be able to take part in the event, and created a surprise by all wearing self-created T-shirts bearing the words “Thank you UEFA, AFDP, JFA”. The young Jordanians also made a splendid contribution to what was a memorable event for everyone who took part.

The Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan is staging a football tournament from 11-15 June to mark the forthcoming World Refugee Day on 20 June

The Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan is staging a football tournament from 11-15 June to mark the forthcoming World Refugee Day on 20 June. The tournament is being organised by the UEFA Foundation for Children, the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP) and the UNHCR.

The tournament will feature Under-15 male and female teams from the 12 districts of the camp, and the finals will take place on 15 June before the start of Ramadan. On 20 June, the winning male team will take part in a match together with the Jordanian Under-15 male team. The match will take place at Al Sareeh.

Youngsters are being given the opportunity to engage in fun and competitive recreational activities, and the tournament aims to promote interaction and dialogue between young Syrians and Jordanians through football. In addition, tournaments such as this promote, among others, the role of sport and recreational activities in responding to young people’s psychosocial needs, and help reinforce the relationship between the UEFA Foundation and the AFDP with respect to activities at the Za’atari camp.

The event and its message fit perfectly with the message being promoted by the UNHCR this year – Standing Together.

Male and female teams at the Za’atari camp tournament will each comprise ten players. Male teams will be fielding players aged between 13 and 15, and female teams will consist of players between the ages of 10 and 15. All teams registered for the tournament will choose a team name, which will formalise their status within the UEFA Foundation for Children/AFDP Football League at the Za’atari camp.

Every qualifying game in the male tournament will be 15 minutes in length, while the quarter-finals and semi-finals will be played over 20 minutes. All of the female tournament matches will last for 15 minutes. The tournament finals on 15 June (both male and female) will played over 20 minutes.

The event on 20 June will take place at night due to Ramadan. The match will be of 2 x 15 minutes’ duration, and each of the two teams will feature a mixture of both Syrian and Jordanian youngsters.

Ten young people going through a difficult time had their dream come true as they attend the UEFA Champions League final

The UEFA Foundation for Children was pleased to invite eight children and four accompanying adults from the Air pur & soleil organisation to the great annual celebration of football that is the UEFA Champions League final. Air pur & soleil (Fresh Air & Sun) is a children’s organisation based in Haute-Savoie that provides breaks for children who are going through a very difficult time in their lives. They are generally experiencing family breakdown or have dropped out of school or other institutions. The organisation enables them to get away from their usual surroundings for a while by giving them a calming environment and a break between a problematic past and perhaps a fresh start.

BERLIN, GERMANY - JUNE 06: The UEFA Champions League Final on June 6, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Harold Cunningham/Getty Images for UEFA)

Two other young people, who are supported by the Swiss-based Étoile filante (Shooting Star) foundation, could also have their dream come true as they too attend the UEFA Champions League final. The foundation’s primary aim is to bring joy and fun to children and young people up to the age of 18 who are seriously ill, injured or disabled.

Football gives vulnerable children a boost

Children in Poland got to experience the inspirational power of football at the UEFA Europa League final in Warsaw as part of the UEFA Foundation for Children’s first new project. “Some of them had been so excited they couldn’t sleep two or three nights before the game,” said Janusz Bukowski, who heads the local association that was responsible for accompanying the children at the match.

A total of 200 tickets were made available in support of vulnerable children living in Poland. The Polish Football Federation (PZPN) and the city of Warsaw selected 14 associations with a recognised role in this field, and through them sent 157 children and 43 accompanying adults to the final on 27 May.

“Being chosen to attend the final meant a lot for these children. It was like winning the lottery for them,” Bukowski said. “Many of these children were so excited they couldn’t sleep two or three nights before the game – they couldn’t believe they’d really been invited to such great event. It was a fantastic idea and I would like to say ‘Merci Michel’. Sport is a fantastic opportunity to integrate people. These vulnerable children now feel that they are important, that somebody cares about them. In their everyday lives, they get into trouble at school and at home because they can’t control their emotions. That’s why they’re often rejected by others. And here they weren’t rejected, quite the opposite: they were INVITED. It’s a big difference in comparison with their day-to-day lives. Football really can make a difference, and this is just one example. Even before the game I spoke to their teachers, who said that just being invited had helped a lot; the children had suddenly started to behave! This has changed them a lot.”

UEFA UEL Final Week Warsaw MD on May 27, 2015 in Warsaw, Poland.

Explaining how the children were selected, Bukowski revealed: “It was amazing for me. To be frank, we picked the biggest troublemakers. The more rejected they were by the community, the more we wanted them. We also had children in wheelchairs. For some of them it really was a dream come true. UEFA and the Polish FA not only gave them tickets, they gave them the feeling that somebody cares. UEFA made them feel as great as the stadium they were in, as great as the event they were watching. This is priceless. Most of them love football, Robert Lewandowski is their idol and who knows – maybe one day they will have the opportunity to watch him from the stands!”