The Arsenal Foundation has worked in partnership with Save the Children since 2011, building pitches in some of the world’s toughest places so that young people who have faced violence, persecution and hardship can have safe spaces in which to play and learn.
In 2019 we combined our expertise to launch Coaching for Life, our programme at the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan, home to displaced Syrians who have fled the civil war. Since March 2011, millions of young people have been displaced by Syria’s brutal civil war and many have witnessed horrors no child should ever see.
Coaching for Life combines more than 100 years of Save the Children’s child protection expertise and 40 years of Arsenal in the Community’s sports for development experience to build vulnerable young people’s mental, emotional and physical wellbeing through football.
In doing so, we are delivering a community programme to one of the toughest environments in the world. The goal was and remains clear: together we give children back their childhoods, provide them with the tools to rebuild their lives and coach them towards a better future. And since Coaching for Life started, more than 5,780 children have graduated from the programme.
Our work in Islington informs our approach in Jordan. Coaches in Za’atari include students from our Coach Development Programme, a two-year course based at The Arsenal Hub that offers comprehensive education from our team of experienced coaches and industry experts and involves leading and supporting sessions across our range of Arsenal in the Community projects at home and abroad.
Arsenal coaches work with Save the Children’s protection team and local coaches on how to use football to support children’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. This is much more than football coaching, however. The project gives children a voice and encourages them to stand up for their right to be safe and protected.
As Arsenal Academy manager and Foundation ambassador Per Mertesacker said after visiting the programme in Jordan, “When children suffer, we all lose. This project will give them courage to cope with the struggles they face day to day, as well as providing them with the skills to have a better future. Children are our future and we need to stand side by side with them.”
The impact of coaching for life has been profound. Since its launch some of the key statistics include…
•48 Syrian coaches trained – including 36 former participants – in addition to five junior coaches.
•5,780 young people have graduated from the programme.
•12 cycles of the course delivered.
•20 weeks of football mini-leagues and resilience sessions delivered.
•5 football pitches maintained over a seven-year period in the camp.
•100 per cent attendance rate.
Per Mertesacker
Arsenal’s Academy Manager is an ambassador for The Arsenal Foundation, and in the summer of 2019 he visited Za’atari refugee camp to launch Coaching for Life.
“Since The Arsenal Foundation began collaborating with Save the Children back in 2011, our partnership has raised more than £3.5million,” he said. “Together, we’ve helped children caught up in emergencies all over the world, bringing football to war-torn and poverty-stricken regions with the aim of providing relief from the struggles of daily life.
“My time at Za’atari refugee camp gave me an insight into where the money we raise goes. When you’re there it’s different. Circumstances are different to what you’re used to, so it can give you perspective.
“Sometimes you find it difficult to find infrastructure in refugee camps, but I saw that Save the Children was doing an excellent job in setting up an infrastructure for refugees. We as Arsenal are able to raise money and have funds to build pitches, but also have a programme in place to actually coach the coaches there, long-term. It’s also great to see that football brings joy to everyone. I forgot about the surroundings when I just played football with the children. That’s something genuine and I think it’s what we all share.
“The trip was an incredible experience for me. I’ve worked in mental hospitals throughout my life and gone into schools as a professional footballer. The more I do, the more I experience, the more I see how important it is to build up strength and partnerships with organisations that really make a difference in the world. That’s what I saw there.
“It’s just great to build something very special. It’s not just about them playing football, it’s about equipping them for life and giving them opportunities. Everyone’s been taken away from their home countries, so having a partnership with Save the Children gives them a chance. It’s such an amazing story and we should talk about it more to encourage more people to go there. We’re trying to be a role model to other clubs, other organisations, to form a strong partnership and be role models.
“Football’s not always great at supporting mental health. To build a structure is not enough. To raise money and build a pitch and then just leave them alone is not enough. We want to be there for the long-term to make a bigger impact. We need to reflect every 20 weeks to look at what they’ve done there with coaching, how we can improve their ability to coach. It’s great to see where the funds go and for me to meet youngsters and talk about how football has impacted their lives.”
For news and updates on Coaching for Life click here.
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