A community-centred event promoting wellbeing 'made history' over the weekend, as it paved the way for the formation of Carlisle's first official refugee football team.
The Support through Sport initiative, which is being organised by Cumberland Council with the help of Carlisle United, Carlisle United Community Sports Trust, Mind and Border City Greens, was held at Carlisle's Hammonds Pond on September 10.
Despite the poor weather, the event which offered a wide range of activities for the whole family, was centred around three football matches between teams from Carlisle's Hilltop Hotel and Border City Greens FC.
With around 200 attendees, the match not only showcased the power of sports in bringing communities together but also marked the inception of Hilltop United FC as an officially affiliated club with the Cumberland Football Association (CFA), marking a significant milestone for refugees living in Carlisle.
Cumberland Council communities and culture officer, Stephen Dunn, said: "We made a piece of history on Sunday with Hilltop's affiliation to Cumberland FA. To my knowledge, I don't know if that's ever happened before.
"We're going to be working with them more and looking at opportunities for further collaboration.
"We ended up with three matches in the end, Hilltop brought with them two teams, including an ex-international player, Yousef Yousefi.
"The match was fantastic, it was dead close which was great. What we need to do now is develop and grow this relationship," he said.
With football being at the heart of the day, the event also allowed for the signposting of information available from community services, particularly focusing on mental health.
A spokesperson from Carlisle's Refugee Action Group (CRAG) said: "Carlisle Refugee Action Group is very proud to support our volunteer, Chris Middleton, and his team of football players, Hilltop United FC.
"It was a real pleasure to attend their first match yesterday at Hammonds Pond and we look forward to seeing them progress and succeed in the sport."
The Support through Sport initiative will be returning later this year.
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