The Wellington Phoenix proudly joined the World Refugee Day celebrations held at the Māngere Refugee Resettlement Centre, Te Āhuru Mōwai o Aotearoa, in Auckland on Saturday.
The centre is the spiritual home of the Phoenix’s award-winning Football For All community programme.
The event was attended by a number of dignitaries including Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro, government ministers Mark Mitchell and Casey Costello, and assistant commissioner Mike Rusbatch and superintendent Rakesh Naidoo of the New Zealand Police. Wellington Phoenix general manager David Dome represented the club at the celebrations.
World Refugee Day is observed annually on June 20 to honour the courage of those who have been forced to flee their countries.
For the Wellington Phoenix it’s also an opportunity to reaffirm the club’s deep commitment to inclusion and opportunity through football.
The Māngere Refugee Resettlement Centre serves as the launchpad for the club’s Football For All programme, a grassroots initiative that now supports more than 2,500 young people across Aotearoa.
The programme introduces football to newly settled communities and refugee youth, using the power of sport to help build belonging, connection, and confidence.
Wellington Phoenix general manager David Dome says the club was honoured to be part of World Refugee Day celebrations.
“It was such a meaningful day,” Dome said.
“Football For All has grown significantly since we started the programme in 2020. It is now based out of Māngere Refugee Resettlement Centre and it continues to change lives around the country.
“We’re humbled to support these communities in conjunction with Capital Football with funding from Lloyd Morrison Trust and New Zealand Community Trust, and to be recognised alongside leaders who share our values of inclusion, dignity and opportunity.”
Football For All has earned national and international praise, including community leadership awards and partnerships with government, police, and regional sports trusts.
The programme continues to grow, with plans to expand further into regional areas in the year ahead.
You can learn more about Football For All here.
