Skip to main content

University of Reading Cookie Policy

We use cookies on reading.ac.uk to improve your experience. Find out more about our cookie policy. By continuing to use our site you accept these terms, and are happy for us to use cookies to improve your browsing experience.

Continue using the University of Reading website

  • Schools and departments
  • Henley Business School
  • University of Reading Malaysia
  • Applicants
  • Student
  • Staff
  • Alumni
Show/Hide navigation
University of Reading University of Reading
Mobile search categories
  • Study and life
  • Research
  • About us
  • View courses
  • Home
  • Study and life
    • Clearing 2023
    • Study
    • Student life
    • Accommodation
    • Schools and departments
    • Open Days and visiting
    • International students
  • Research
    • Themes
    • Impact
    • Innovation and partnerships
    • Research environment
    • Get involved
    • Sustainable development
    • Environment
    • Research integrity
    • Sexual violence in peacekeeping
    • Working globally
    • Health
    • Heritage & Creativity
    • Prosperity & Resilience
  • About us
    • Chat to our ambassadors
    • Accessibility – University of Reading
    • Centre College - University of Reading partnership
    • Copyright – University of Reading
    • MGIMO
    • Privacy – the University of Reading
    • Queen's Anniversary Prizes - University of Reading
    • rivedeleted
    • Teaching and Learning stories
    • #UoRWay: read more extraordinary stories and get involved
    • Campus commerce services
    • Our global community
    • Sports Hall of Fame
    • Business
    • Local community
    • Visit us
    • Value for Money
    • Strategy
    • 2026: TRANSFORM
    • 90th anniversary
    • Governance
    • A photographic history of the University of Reading
    • Income and expenditure
    • NUIST Reading Academy
    • Important information
    • Teaching and learning
    • Terms of use
    • University of Reading timeline
    • Chat to our students
    • Chat to our students
    • Contact us
  • Applicants
  • Student
  • Staff
  • Alumni
  • Schools and departments
  • Henley Business School
  • University of Reading Malaysia
  • View courses

Football tournament brings communities together

07 July 2022

Sanctuary Strikers FC

A football tournament held at the University of Reading during Refugee Week brought different community groups together in the spirit of unity.

Sanctuary Strikers Football Club is Berkshire’s only refugee football team. The club hosted the Reading Community Cup this year thanks to a donation from the Community Fund, a joint initiative between the John Sykes Foundation and the University of Reading.

The tournament, held on Saturday 25 June, included three other Reading-based football teams (Giveback FC, Bracknell Panthers and Wayback Wanderers) and was held on the University’s Whiteknights campus.

The final saw Sanctuary Strikers take on Give Back FC. After a tense penalty shoot-out, Give Back FC were crowned the winners of the tournament.

Joel Joseph, Manager and co-founder of Sanctuary Strikers FC, said: “The Reading Community Cup is an opportunity to bring local football teams together in the spirit of community and, at the same time, helps raise awareness of Sanctuary Strikers FC and our aims as a club.”

“Building bridges”

Sanctuary Strikers FC was started in 2017 by Tomson Chauke, a refugee from Zimbabwe, and Joel Joseph, a refugee from Tanzania. What started out as a kick about in a local park quickly turned into the formation of a proper club with some kick-start funding from the Football Association (FA).

As well as playing football, the overarching aim of the club is to bring together people from different countries and backgrounds to build a culture of inclusivity and understanding.

Tomson Chauke, Chairman and co-founder of Sanctuary Strikers FC, said: ‘Our main mission is not just to play football but to build a bridge for social integration. We want our players to integrate well within society and in so doing, increase their sense of belonging.”

“Long-term growth”

In February 2021, the club approached the University for support in growing and expanding the club for new and future players.

Molli Cleaver, Community Relations Manager at the University, began working with the team and together, along with Reading University Students’ Union and Reading FC Community Trust, they put forward a bid for £8,000, over a two-year period, through the new Community Fund initiative.

The money will be used to create a package of activities which will address some of the football club’s most urgent needs.

Activities include coaching, referee and first aid training for players which is a barrier to growth. The money will also go towards the setting up of regular open football sessions throughout the year, to help with recruitment of new players. And better equipment will enable the club to continue running, alongside delivering engaging and exciting training sessions.

Molli said: “In addition to the support for the Reading Community Cup, the money from the Community Fund will enable Sanctuary Strikers FC to do all the things most local football teams do week in week out as part of their training and match preparation, with the right skills and equipment to do it.”

Tomson said: “As many of our players are refugees, we do not have the funds that most local teams gain through player subscriptions. We are incredibly grateful to the University of Reading and the John Sykes Foundation. The money donated will support our training activities and long-term growth plans.”

Loading additional items please wait....

Main Menu


News from 2023  

Contact the press team

Media, demonstrations, and petitions on campus

Connecting Research Blog

Events

Media Enquiries


Journalists can contact the press office at any time.

+44 (0)118 378 5757 (24 hours)

pressoffice@reading.ac.uk

News Archives


News from 2023

News from 2022

News from 2021

News archive 1998-2020

mask
CHOOSE A SUBJECT
2023/24
2024/25
Undergraduates
Postgraduates
Undergraduates
Postgraduates

Subjects A-B

  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Science
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Bioveterinary Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Criminology
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre & Performance

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise
  • Creative Writing

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teacher training
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

Subjects A-B

  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Bioveterinary Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Criminology
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre & Performance

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise
  • Creative Writing

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teacher training
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology
  • Charitable Status
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Terms of use
  • Sitemap

© University of Reading