Wirral Change’s Isaac Stewart has been named this season’s community champion by Tranmere Rovers for his work running a weekly football group for asylum seekers and refugees.
Wirral Change is a charity that has been empowering disadvantaged groups since 2006.
For the past three years, the charity’s Isaac Stewart has been running weekly football sessions for Wirral’s asylum seekers and refugees.
The sessions take place just behind Tranmere Rovers’ Prenton Park stadium, at Shaftesbury Youth Club.
Earlier this month, Mr Stewart was named this season’s community champion by Tranmere Rovers in the Community.
Mr Stewart was commemorated at an award ceremony during Tranmere’s home game against Port Vale.
“It was an amazing feeling”, said Mr Stewart.
“The guys tell me how much it means to them but getting recognised from a football team is a good feeling.
“Seeing the stadium and getting the award on the pitch was a nice feeling.”
Whilst the charity does a lot of work to support asylum seekers and refugees with claiming benefits and housing, the football sessions offer players a chance to unwind.
Mr Stewart continued: “The football sessions are really about helping them get that time off that they need.”
“A lot of them spend their time at home, not doing a lot, being bored, and thinking about the stress from back home.
“They tell me a lot that this takes their mind off the war that they have fled from.”
One such player is Hakafan.
Hakafan was forced to flee his home in Ethiopia in August 2023 after a dictatorship took control of the region.
A 2023 report from the US department of state determined that the Ethiopian government had committed war crimes, including, but not limited to, murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, and persecution.
Hakafan now has refugee status in the UK and finds solace at the weekly football group.
Hakafan said: “Being here makes me very happy. The opportunity to expand my social network is the main reason I am here.
“Everybody is friendly. Everybody just tries to communicate with each other. I love it!”
Mr Stewart says the players have come from far and wide, comprising of people from South America, the Middle East, as well as East Africa:
“Despite all the language barriers, they all come, connect and play the game together.
“It’s beautiful to see.”
After a wave of anti-immigrant rioting and disorder across the UK last summer, the message from the charity is clear.
Stephen Lock, who has volunteered at the football sessions for the last two years, said:
“I just think you should really get to know these people. They’re really nice lads.
“They have the odd bust up on the football pitch. But we sort it out and make friends.
“It’s been tricky for some of them coming from different countries that have got really bad pasts, but this has brought them together.”
Meanwhile, Mr Stewart added: “These guys are the most vulnerable people in the world.”
“All they want to do is support this country.
“They have no intentions whatsoever to cause any harm to the community or any organisation that they are supported by.
“They aren’t lazy. They are trying to work but they are held back by the systems in place.
“If you don’t like anything about this community it might be to do with what you’re seeing online.
“I honestly suggest trying to support them, maybe at the food bank, or at the local community centre and you’ll see another side to it.
“It’s worthwhile doing.”
Featured Image by Jack Burgess
