Leicester City in the Community, Leicester City's club charity, is continuing its Football Welcomes programme, which creates opportunities for refugees, people seeking asylum and people seeking safety to connect, build friendships and feel part of their local community.
The programme is backed by Amnesty UK and runs free-to-access football sessions every week across Leicester and Leicestershire, for individuals and families who are refugees or seeking asylum. Most sessions are for adults, with some for 16+ year olds. Sessions in Leicester are delivered in partnership with After 18 and Loughborough University with LSU and Town of Sanctuary, and the charity also supports drop-ins with partners including City of Sanctuary, British Red Cross and Fearon Hall.
As part of the programme, participants recently travelled to Northampton for a special fixture against Northampton Town FC Community Trust. The match brought together people seeking safety from Leicester and Northamptonshire, giving them the chance to represent their communities on the pitch, meet new people and enjoy the game. There was a competitive edge, but the day was about much more than the result: afterwards the two groups sat down together to share home-cooked food from around the world.
Joe McSharry, Community Development Manager at Leicester City in the Community, thanked Northampton Town FC Community Trust and Northamptonshire Rights and Equality Council (NREC) for their welcome and hospitality.
He said: "Events like this have an impact that goes far beyond what happens on the pitch. From the sense of pride in wearing our club's badge, to the opportunity to represent the city where you've been welcomed, it was brilliant to see the power of football in full effect for participants who have been through enormous hardship."
He added: "Belonging is central to our mission as a charity. We say, 'there's a place for everyone at Leicester City in the Community' and today we saw why that matters and how powerful that can be."
For many participants, the weekly sessions are a regular chance to meet others, stay active and become more connected to where they live. The programme also opens the door to wider support and other community activities, helping people feel welcomed and valued in Leicester and Leicestershire.
For the sport for good sector, it is a reminder that two club charities working together can turn a simple fixture into something bigger: a shared language, a shared meal and a place to belong.
Source: Leicester City in the Community, 23 October 2026, https://www.lcfc.com/media-article/leicester-city-community-football-welcomes-brings-communities-seeking-safety-together