Saracens Foundation Round-Up

Whilst it was all quiet on the rugby pitch at StoneX this summer, the Saracens Foundation never stopped!

This summer has been full on with summer camp delivery, an ABBA tribute night for our Love to Dancers as well as the Saracens Charity Golf Day!

The Sporting Roots Project, our refugee provision supported by lead project partner SBHL and further supported by Islamic Relief UK, hosted the first Family Day for the programme. Participants and families from the host hotels came to StoneX Stadium to enjoy a fun day outside with games and activities! For many of these participants, the only outside space they have access to is the hotel car park so having an outlet for activity and fun is so important for them.

Musa, a two-year-old boy whose parents originate from Afghanistan, was one of the attendees of family day. He and his parents live in one of the hotels we work with and have faced significant challenges, his parents tragically losing two daughters and Musa, who was born in the UK, living with an autoimmune disease. When Musa was at family day, he was transfixed by a bowl of water which he was playing in. His parents explained that he has only ever seen water in a shower or as a drink – never a “body of water” so to speak. His parents’ ultimate goal is to go to the seaside, not only to show Musa the ocean, but also to remember their daughters, who grew up by the sea in Afghanistan.

It is not something they have been able to make happen yet, but the family day was the first time that Musa has been able to be a child and have fun in a safe, family environment, helping them make new, happy memories.

Sporting Roots, and the family day, is such an important project to our participants, with one participant saying that it was the longest he has spent outside since he arrived in the UK two years ago. Creating a safe environment where refugees and asylum seekers can relax and enjoy some physical activity, is core to the project and we can’t wait to see how it develops this year!