Amnesty’s campaign nets support in city
An annual campaign celebrating the contribution of refugees and asylum seekers has netted more support.
City partners in Sunderland are joining the team to support the annual national Amnesty International UK “Football Welcomes Refugees” campaign.
The campaign, launched in 2017, encourages football clubs and associations at all levels to organise events and activities to bring people together.
Covid-19 restrictions have resulted in many events being online this year, but Sunderland City Council has been working with partners including Sunderland Association Football Club, the Foundation and Beacon of Light, University of Sunderland and the city’s voluntary and community sector to organise physical games.
A rolling friendly four-asidematch with regular substitution s was hosted outside at the Beacon of Light on Tuesday, featuring teams from the refugee and asylum seeker community and the University of Sunderland.
Today, city civic landmarks will be lit in the yellow of Amnesty International UK.
Fiona Brown, the City Council's Executive Director of Neighbourhoods, said: "The campaign helps reinforce the message of hope to all those vulnerable people fleeing war and persecution across the world, that there are places of safety and opportunity.
"Sunderland is a truly International, outward-looking city, with a history of sharing culture, trade and ideas across the globe.
The event was backed by the Durham FA and organised with the help of Sunderland’ s voluntarysector including Friends of the Drop-in for Asylum Seekers Refugees( F OD I ), Fight back, International Communities Of Sunderland (ICOS) and Young Asian Voices.
Ex-Sunderland captain and anti-racism campaigner, Gary Bennett said: "Sport is a great way to bring people together to remember and realise that it’s the colour of people’s shirts and not the colour of their skins that matters out there on the pitch and the street."