Chelsea Foundation recently completed its first Community Mentors Programme, an eight-week initiative aimed at fostering integration for refugees living in London.
The programme entailed a diverse range of workshops to equip participants with essential life and employability skills.
Refugees from all corners of the world engaged in weekly workshops including mentoring, sports leadership and coaching, employability, social action, mental health, money management and work experience, ensuring participants gained crucial tools for personal and professional success.
The overarching goal of the programme is to transform participants into community mentors, empowering them to become leaders in their local neighbourhoods. By providing this, Chelsea Foundation is actively contributing to the integration of refugees into the broader community.
David Armstrong, senior project officer at the Foundation, said: ‘The Community Mentors Programme stands testament to the transformative power of football in fostering positive change. We aim to continue the project into 2024 as we look to continue making a positive impact on the lives of refugees in London.’
The inaugural Community Mentors Programme culminated with an event at Stamford Bridge where 20 asylum seekers and refugees attended a workshop aimed at supporting employability skills. The workshop was delivered by Enterprise Academy who supported the group with interview skills and CV building.
As part of the initiative, participants undertook a social action project where they aimed to visit as many famous landmarks across London within an allocated time. The group visited the likes of the London eye, Big Ben and the Tower of London within one day. As part of the project, the group chose to raise funds for the Ukraine War Crisis Appeal