Sunderland Samba

Sunderland Samba FC is a registered charity which grew out of the work of the Sunderland Methodist Circuit Youth Worker Project started in the year 2000. Sunderland Samba continues to work in close partnership with the Sunderland Methodist Circuit where our charitable objectives overlap and on specific projects. Revd John Purdy is our club chaplain and offers support to all our members.

In this our 25th year we welcomed Helen Cameron and Carolyn Godfrey, the President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, to our weekly training for children and young people as well as our U21s session. They met some of our diverse community through which we encourage learning about difference and finding our purpose in life. Helen shared with us the importance of standing together against oppression and for justice.

We are a community football club providing football, volunteering, coaching, youth work and international exchange opportunities. We are a youth led organisation enabling children and young people, aged 5-25 years, to make a positive contribution in their local community. Running through our activities we have a particular focus on promoting racial and religious harmony.

We do this through 5 key projects

1) Volunteering (enabling young people and young adults in particular to develop their skills and confidence through football and community development)

2) Festival of Football (weekly sessions and half term holiday programmes for children aged 5-14 year olds)

3) Community Football bringing together asylum seekers, refugees, international students and local young men

4) 11-a-side team (our men's team represent Sunderland Methodist Circuit in the North East Christian Fellowship League)

5) Kenya Project exchange programme enabling people from Sunderland (UK) and Nairobi (Kenya) to learn and work together for sustainable change in their communities – our Women's Team in Kenya play in the FKF National Super League

Contact us at

sunderland.samba@gmail.com or John Boyd on 07751944500

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