The City of Lincoln Foundation hosted the inaugural Community World Cup at LNER Stadium on Saturday, May 4th, with 18 different teams competing in a six-a-side tournament.
The event was a great celebration of the diversity of the local area, with each team representing a different community.
With countries such as Timor-Leste, Nigeria, Ghana and Poland represented, the day focused on bringing local people from different backgrounds together.
The day has been made possible by City of Lincoln Council Community Chest Fund and the John Dover Trust, who provided funding to help run the local event.
Organizing groups such as the Lincoln City Foundation, Lincoln City Football Club, Lincoln City Council, LEAN and the University of Lincoln were all integral to organizing this event.
Paul Carrick, Neighborhood Manager at Lincoln City Council, said: Community World He aims to improve the lives of local residents and create a sense of community cohesion by funding events such as the Cup. The Community World Cup, made possible with funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, provided a fantastic opportunity to unite people from diverse backgrounds through the universal language of football.
“Thanks to LEAN and the City Council Neighborhood Team, connecting with diverse communities, and spending a lot of time organizing, we were able to secure representation from countries around the world.
“The atmosphere and the football that was played clearly demonstrated the positive impact of such a tournament, providing a platform for various community groups, organisations and members of society to bond and build meaningful connections.”
“We are thrilled to have helped fund the Community World Cup through Community Chest and look forward to being involved in future events.”
Daniel Carter, head of sport and physical activity at the foundation, said: “The first Community World Cup was a powerful expression of unity and diversity, driven by the universal appeal of football.
“Through the vision of our Community Manager, Kate O’Reilly, local residents and organisations have come together to create such memorable events.
“The Foundation as a whole is honored to support and collaborate with other like-minded organizations to realize such an impactful initiative.
“Looking to the future, we are committed to supporting similar events that promote inclusivity and unity within the community, harnessing the unique power of sport and engaging new groups at Lincoln City Football Club. .”
The team representing the Arab community won the championship, a day after defeating the Mosque team in the final on the pitch of LNER Stadium.
Inam Ibrahim, head of the Arabic School and one of the main organizers of the event, expressed his delight at the day’s success: “The tournament was fantastic. We have been waiting for this day for a long time.”
“The main purpose of this event is to bring everyone together and unite the community. I would like to thank the City of Lincoln Foundation for doing such a great job of uniting different communities, not only today but always. .”
Lincoln City Foundation also used the Premier League Fan Fund to engage with ethnically diverse groups that are often underrepresented within the Imps’ fan base, with the aim of improving cohesion within the community.
Teams from Lincoln University Women’s Football Association and Lincolnshire Police also attended the event to show their support for this important community event.
Lynx Police FC Team Manager Cal MacDonald explained why he felt Lincolnshire Police’s involvement was essential:
“Events like this give us the opportunity to engage with diverse communities in a social way, while building relationships between groups that represent Lincolnshire. It’s great to showcase the people behind the badges. That’s it.”
If you are interested in taking part in the next Community World Cup in 2025, please email us. [email protected].