Barca Foundation (FC Barcelona) Sports Program

Projects - Current

Being far away from home is difficult for everyone, especially children. It’s for this reason that we want children who migrate to Lesvos to have a safe and comfortable environment where their hopes and dreams can flourish. Furthermore, we want these children to be exposed to and have contact with the community in which they migrate to.

So, as a part of our wish to preserve hopes and dreams and create social cohesion, we have created an opportunity for boys and girls to run around, have fun and smile. This opportunity is the Barca Foundation Sports program. 

"All kids need, is a little help, a little
hope, and somebody who believes in them" - Magic Johnson

As the name suggested, the sports program is co-run by the Barca Foundation. The program is a sports-based education program that aims to support children and youth residing in communities and centres with a high proportions of refugees. The aim of the program is to improve life skills and emotional wellbeing as well as foster social cohesion and integration between refugee and local youth.

The program is facilitated by trained coaches and volunteers, who deliver the Barca FutbolNet methodology, a curriculum that uses sports as a means to promote peace, tolerance and understanding among children and youth through sport, games, reflection tools and educational activities. Each week, our coaches bring this methodology, and of course sporting equipment to the Spanos fields on Lesvos (situated between Moria camp and Kara Tepe). The beauty of the program is that is offers a variety of sports and activites to a diverse mix of children. The program also caters to disabled and physically impared children.

“Football (FutbolNET session) is for me like a school
where you are teaching us how to be a good person” - 8 year-old boy on Lesvos

Over the years, this program has really encouraged the blending of two different communities – both the refugee and local children and youth. There are many sporting sessions and tournaments that host both communities and it a true testament to the power that sport holds in building bridges. You can read more about these in our stories!

We strongly believe in creating hope within every child residing in our CampUs’s and the hosting community, and our sports program is just one way in which we do this. We have many other human-centric programs that we run and plan to create many more in the coming years. For more information on how you can contribute to our Movement, click here.

More current projects