Leeds Refugee Forum held their Annual Refugee Week Tournament in association with West Riding County FA at Thomas Danby College on Sunday 24^th June. 20 teams contested the 7 a side competition and there was representation from a host of community organisations and local teams making for a wonderful diverse tournament. Multiple nationalities were represented with a wide range of languages being spoken. The Red Sea Boys, a team made up young people from Eritrea, won the tournament and played excellent football throughout winning the final on penalties against Syrian Stars.

Refugee Week takes place every year across the world in the week around World Refugee Day on the 20 June. In the UK, Refugee Week is a nationwide programme of arts, cultural and educational events that celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK, and encourages a better understanding between communities. Refugee Week started in 1998 as a direct reaction to hostility in the media and society in general towards refugees and asylum seekers. An established part of the UK’s cultural calendar, Refugee Week is now one of the leading national initiatives working to counter this negative climate, defending the importance of sanctuary and the benefits it can bring to both refugees and host communities.

West Riding County FA would like to congratulate all the partners involved with special mention to Richard Orton and Ali Mahgoub of Leeds Refugee Form and Dick Sharp from RETAS Leeds.