Rochdale AFC becomes one of the first Football Clubs of Sanctuary

We are over the moon to announce Rochdale AFC as one of the UK’s first awarded Football Clubs of Sanctuary!

This award is in recognition of the work of both the Club and Community Trust with local people seeking sanctuary, having been delivering weekly football, social, food and health sessions for nearly a year.

Hope Football, a free initiative led by FA-qualified coaches from our RAFC Community Trust sees 30 attendees each week – the sessions provide safe and inclusive football experiences, specifically targeting people seeking sanctuary.

Ryan Bradley, Community Director at Rochdale AFC Community Trust, commented:

“Liz, our Inclusion Coordinator, has done a fantastic job over the past six months, both delivering work with refugees on the ground, ensuring that their voices and opinions are at the heart of our work, and ensuring that our staff from delivery level through to myself and George Delves, Rochdale AFC’s Chief Operating Officer, understand the struggles that people seeking sanctuary face, and the ways in which we can support […] we hope to showcase the Football Club and Community Trust as inclusive organisations, whom people can turn to when they need support.”