Keele hosts third annual football tournament for refugees
Teams from Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe, Derby, Loughborough and Liverpool have taken part in an annual football tournament for refugees and asylum seekers at Keele University.
It is the third time the University has staged the event, which is held to promote an understanding among the local community of the plight of refugees and asylum seekers, encourage community cohesion, and overcome language barriers through sport.
Off the pitch, participants were given the opportunity to attend sessions and engage in activities with University staff around access and progression into apprenticeships, foundation studies and higher education.
Russell Clark, Director of Keele Language Centre, who organised the event, told BBC News: "There's so much more to it than just having a nice game of football. It helps the refugees realise that there is support for them, that they are welcome in the community.
"A lot of them come to the UK having left behind well-trained positions. They've got skills, what they don't necessarily have is the qualifications, or they may want to retrain. One of the people who took part in the first competition is training to be a physiotherapist at Keele."
