College staff, took a team to Rome to participate in a five nations football tournament to mark the end of the two-year Social Soccer project focussed on integration.

Social Soccer is an initiative set-up by CROSS and funded by the European Commission (EC) under the Erasmus and Sport Chapter, supported by research by the University of Rome. The project involves countries from the European Union (EU) specifically, Hungary, Bulgaria, Italy, Germany and France.

Who have combined with the aim of increasing participation in sport through emphasis on the social benefits of football, promoting cooperation, tolerance, mutual respect and cultural diversity.

This year, college sport’s staff took a team, who were mixed up with others to include all nationalities and different levels of ability and gender.

Each team consisted of twenty people and were named after the EU Constitution founding principles; equality, solidarity, freedom, dignity and justice. with the “Equality” Team winning the tournament.

Team members also participated in a number of other activities, such as a beach clean, cooking lessons and visits to historical and religious sites, such as The Vatican, to promote integration and awareness of cultural diversity.

Scott Leadley said:

‘This is a brilliant initiative aimed at getting people to enjoy the physical, and most importantly, the many social benefits of football. We have been extremely fortunate to be able to come out here to Rome and experience such a rich programme, filled with games, trips and regeneration activities to help the community. It has been a fitting end to what has been an incredible two-year programme.’

Assistant Principal for Quality and Outcomes, Andrew Gedge, said:

‘We are delighted to have had the opportunity to come out to Rome and work together with other European countries to celebrate some of the core values we believe in, such as equality, mutual respect and diversity. This has proved to be a fantastic initiative for college staff and students to get involved with.’