Football Queensland (FQ) celebrates a year of significant growth with its Multicultural football programs in 2024, engaging over 900 participants from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, representing over 50 cultures and nationalities.
The Multicultural Settlement Program (MSP) for children aged 4-11 and the Multicultural Youth Program (MYP) for ages 12-20 have been instrumental in fostering inclusion within local communities and expanding access to football opportunities. In 2024, these initiatives delivered positive outcomes across more regions, expanding FQ’s support to more individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.
“Our multicultural programs demonstrate the transformative power of football to connect communities, break down barriers, and create opportunities for individuals to thrive,” FQ Manager – Inclusion Football Sam Escobar said.
“This year’s programs were delivered across key regional areas, including Townsville and Toowoomba, where they provided essential support to recently arrived refugee communities including those coming from conflict-affected regions such as Ukraine and Palestine.
“The Multicultural Youth and Settlement Programs have been a resounding success this year as we continue to evolve them to best suit the needs of those who participate, combining football development and participation with social learning support to young people both on and off the pitch.
“This year the MYP was delivered in conjunction with the Q-League Schools Program, providing participating schools with a holistic approach to student development, allowing students to not only be able to enhance their football skills through regular competitive games in Q-league, but also grow personally through the social-emotional learning framework embedded within the MYP.
“This year we were also excited to have also delivered female-only initiatives that encouraged more women and girls to participate in the sport within confidence-building and comfortable environments, ensuring that no matter your age, skill level or background, everyone has a place in our game.
“We are incredibly proud of the impact these initiatives have had across Queensland this year, particularly in providing pathways for those who are new to the game or facing unique circumstances and challenges, and we look forward to increasing our reach in 2025 to service more communities across more areas of our state.”
Football Queensland remains dedicated to expanding its multicultural programs in 2025, ensuring more communities have the opportunity to participate in and benefit from the game.
