Quality assist from Premier League sees World Vision score with football training camp for refugee children in Jordan

World Vision – the world’s largest children’s charity – has partnered with the Premier League and the Asian Football Development Project to deliver a training course in Jordan’s Azraq Refugee Camp.

The first session of the football training camp kicked off yesterday when Warren Leat, a coach from Premiership side Stoke City, delivered a course at the camp with the support of Laura Nicholls from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Premier League head coach, Jeremy Weeks. The four-day camp is expected to equip up to 36 coaches in Jordan with the skills to set up a new football league for boys and girls in the Azraq camp.

Richard Scudamore, the Premier League Executive Chairman, said: “The young people living in Azraq camp have had their lives severely disrupted. Providing them with regular access to fun, high-quality football training and tournaments delivered by properly trained coaches, means they will reap the benefits the game has to offer – teamwork, improved confidence and well-being. But equally importantly, it will give them a chance to return some much-needed normality to their lives.”

This week, the British coaches will train 24 men and 12 women, including a number of Syrian refugee volunteers from a number of organisation including World Vision Jordan, the Jordanian Football Association and a variety of aid organisations working in Azraq camp.

World Vision UK spokesperson, Henry Makiwa, said: ”It’s absolutely delightful and humbling that the English Premier League, with its popularity across the world, has been so generous as to support the thousands of refugee children in Azraq, with the skills to enjoy the beautiful game and also get their minds off the challenges they face daily.

“Football, as we know is a universal language and a platform for bringing people together, instilling discipline, team work, a sense of accomplishment and well-being.  We believe the new league will ensure children will be able to obtain a sense of normality through sports, providing them with not only physical benefits, but improving their social and psychological well-being as well. Our partnership demonstrates to the Syrian refugee children at Azraq that even institutions like the Premier League are interested in them and their future,” he added.

Azraq Camp is the second largest refugee camp in Jordan, currently hosting over 20,000 refugees with 6,876 boys and girls aged 17 or under. World Vision – which has received £15,000 from the Premier League - has been providing large-scale water and sanitation services since the establishment of the camp last year.

The project will utilise a specially designed curriculum based on that used on Premier Skills, the Premier League’s globally renowned programme run in partnership with the British Council.

Edward Oakden, British Ambassador to Jordan, said: “Syria’s future will be built upon its young people. I’m delighted that the Premier League is investing in these young people, as is the UK as a whole, and helping them build the teamwork skills that Syria is urgently going to need to rebuild the country once this terrible conflict is over.”

Following the completion of the workshop, a closing ceremony will take place on 19 November which will include a football festival, giving the newly trained coaches the chance to demonstrate the skills they have acquired on close to one hundred Syrian boys and girls, who will take part in training sessions and tournaments, learning different football skills and techniques.